Pattern of tympanic membrane perforation in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Tympanic membrane perforation is a common otological disorder with associated hearing impairment. This study aimed at determining the clinicoepidemiological pattern, etiological factors, clinical presentation, and management of tympanic membrane perforation in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

This was a prospective, hospital-based study of patients with the clinical finding of perforated tympanic membrane. The study was carried out over a period of 5 years (September 2012 to August 2017). Interviewer-assisted questionnaire was administered to obtain the detailed history and clinical findings from consenting patients. Data collected were collated and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0.

A total of 529 patients had tympanic membrane perforation, of which 368 (69.6%) were males and 161 (30.4%) were females with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. The prevalence of tympanic membrane perforation in this study was 7.8%. The most common presenting symptom among the patients was otorrhea in 81.5%, otalgia in 72.8%, and tinnitus in 55.7%. Acute suppurative otitis media was a cause of tympanic membrane perforation in 28.4% of the patients while 55.7% of the patients proceed to chronic suppurative otitis media. Unilateral tympanic membrane perforation was 79.0%. The left ear tympanic membrane perforation was 43.9%. Grade 1 tympanic membrane perforation accounted for 39.3% while grade 2 accounted for 32.3%. The most common types of tympanic membrane perforation were central in 38.2%, anterior central in 32.3%, and posterior central in 19.3%. Conductive hearing impairment accounted for 61.6% while sensorineural hearing impairment 25.3%. The most common degrees of hearing impairment were mild and moderate and accounted for 47.1% and 25.1%, respectively. The most common complications of tympanic membrane perforation were hearing impairment in 52.6%. Majority of the patients (425) were treated conservatively, six had fat patches, while 98 were treated surgically. Tympanic membrane perforation healed at the end of 3 months in 81.5%, while 18.5% did not heal after 3 months.

Tympanic membrane perforation arises mainly from middle ear infections and traumatic causes. At presentation, size and location of perforation vary which depend on duration of infection or the traumatic causes.