The Other Ear in Unilateral Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media Clinical and Radiological Study

Background: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) refers to chronic irreversible inflammatory pathological tissue damage of the middle ear cleft mucosal lining. The aim of this study is to evaluate clinical and radiological study of the other ear in unilateral CSOM.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was carried out on 65 Cases with unilateral Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) and their ages more than 5 years old. Cases were subdivided in to two groups: GroupⅠ: included 30 cases with unilateral mucosal CsOM and Group Ⅱ: included 30 cases with unilateral squamous CSOM.

All cases were subjected to clinical examination of the contralateral ear (CLE) (Otoscope, Microscope and Endoscopic examination by 0-degree telescope) as well as audiological examination.

Results: Unilateral CSOM, mainly found in young age females. The average duration of the disease was 5.1 years ± 3.7 years in group I and 7.2 ±5.6 years in group II, Abnormal tympanic membrane (TM) of CLEs was (43.1%) in both groups, In group I, CLE otoscope and microscopic examinations showed that (60%) with normal TM, (37.1%) with retracted TM and (2.9%) with glue TM, while endoscopic examination showed (56.7%) normal TM, (37.1%) retracted TM and (2.9%) glue TM, In group II, CLE otoscope examination showed that 16 normal TM (53.3%) and 14 retracted TM (46.7%), while microscopic examination showed that 13 normal TM (43.3%) and 17 retracted TM (56.7%) and endoscopic examination showed that 12 normal TM (40%),18 retracted TM (60%).

Conclusion: occurrences of structure abnormalities of the CLE in cases of unilateral CSOM of both squamous and mucosal types. The otoscope findings were primarily in the form of TM retraction in the squamous type, while the radiological and audiological abnormalities were more common in the squamous than mucosal type.