Intra-Operative Ossicular Chain Status in Patients with Chronic Otitis Media.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Pathology
• Audiology

Background:

• Chronic otitis media (COM) is a prevalent condition affecting the middle ear.
• Understanding ossicular chain involvement is crucial for surgical planning and patient outcomes.
• Differentiating between mucosal and squamosal COM types may influence ossicular destruction patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess ossicular status in mucosal and squamosal COM.
• To statistically evaluate the extent of intraoperative ossicular destruction.
• To aid in preoperative prediction of ossicular chain integrity in COM patients.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 98 COM patients undergoing surgery.
• Preoperative evaluation included otomicroscopy, tuning fork tests, and audiometry.
• Intraoperative assessment of middle ear and ossicular chain status using microscopy.

Main Results:

• Ossicular chain erosion occurred in 70.5% of cases.
• Squamosal COM showed a higher rate of ossicular erosion (86.7%) compared to mucosal COM (51.1%).
• The long process of the incus was most frequently involved, followed by the stapes and malleus.

Conclusions:

• A significant relationship exists between COM disease type and ossicular erosion.
• Squamosal COM is associated with a higher incidence of ossicular destruction.
• The malleus is the most resistant, and the incus is the most susceptible ossicle to erosion in COM.