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Tympanic membrane changes in school-aged children
J Haapaniemi1, J Suonpää, E Virolainen
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Central Hospital of Turku, Finland.
Insights
This study examined 687 children aged 6-15, finding most had healthy tympanic membranes (TMs). Normal TM findings increased with age, and abnormalities were rarely linked.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Tympanic membrane (TM) health is crucial for hearing.
- Understanding TM findings in school-aged children is important for early detection of hearing issues.
- Previous research has not comprehensively detailed TM morphology distribution in this age group.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and distribution of normal and abnormal tympanic membrane findings in school children aged 6 to 15 years.
- To explore associations between various factors and abnormal tympanic membrane findings.
- To provide updated epidemiological data on tympanic membrane status in children.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive otolaryngologic examination was conducted on 687 school children.
- Otomicroscopy was utilized to assess tympanic membrane color, position, mobility, structure, and pars flaccida position.
- Data were analyzed to determine the frequency of normal and abnormal findings and their interrelationships.
Main Results:
- Two-thirds of the children exhibited healthy tympanic membranes with no pathological changes.
- Normal tympanic membrane findings were more prevalent in older children.
- Individual normal findings included: color (90.7%), position (93.8%), mobility (93.7%), structure (91.8%), and pars flaccida position (88.5%).
- Tympanic membrane abnormalities were generally not associated with each other.
Conclusions:
- The majority of school-aged children in the study population possess normal tympanic membranes.
- Age is a significant factor, with older children showing a higher incidence of normal tympanic membrane characteristics.
- This study offers valuable insights into the epidemiological landscape of tympanic membrane conditions in children, aiding in targeted health interventions.
Abstract:
A comprehensive otolaryngologic examination, including otomicroscopy, was performed for 687 school children for morphologically to study the distribution of normal and abnormal tympanic membrane findings and the association of different factors with the abnormal TM finding in 6 to 15-year-old children. Two-thirds of the children had completely healthy tympanic membranes without any visible pathological change. The findings were more often normal the older the child. In the total population, individual tympanic membrane findings were normal as follows: color 90.7%, position 93.8%, mobility 93.7%, structure 91.8% and position of pars flaccida 88.5%. Contrary to normal findings, tympanic membrane abnormalities were not in general associated with each other. The study provides new information on the occurrence of tympanic membrane changes among school-aged children.