Pediatric Myringoplasty using the Periosteum: An Institutional Overview

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Myringoplasty is a surgical procedure to repair tympanic membrane perforations.
• Various grafting materials and techniques exist for myringoplasty.
• Chronic suppurative otitis media with dry central perforation is a common indication for tympanic membrane repair in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the surgical and audiological outcomes of periosteal graft myringoplasty in a pediatric cohort.
• To assess the efficacy of using a periosteal graft overlying the mastoid cortex via a retroauricular incision.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of children aged ≤16 years undergoing periosteal graft myringoplasty.
• Study period: April 2019 to April 2021.
• One-year follow-up assessing anatomical success and functional outcomes via pure tone audiometry (PTA) comparing pre- and postoperative results.

Main Results:

• 36 pediatric patients (40 surgeries) included; 95% anatomical success rate (38/40 ears).
• Significant hearing improvement observed: mean PTA difference of 14.6 ± 3.45 dB (p < 0.001).
• Pediatric cohort ages ranged from 7 to 16 years, with a mean age of 12.7 years.

Conclusions:

• Periosteal graft myringoplasty is effective in the pediatric population.
• This technique offers comparable or superior functional and anatomical outcomes compared to other graft types.
• Advocates for periosteal grafting as a good alternative for pediatric tympanic membrane repair.