otitis media with effusion and tympanometry patterns among children aged six months to seven years with cleft palate at corsu rehabilitation hospital: a comparative study

Description

Back ground Cleft palate (CP) is associated with otitis media with effusion (OME) due to the accompanying Eustachian tube dysfunction. The global prevalence of OME among children with CP ranges as high as 50-90%. Determining the burden of OME, and the tympanometry patterns among children with CP will have a bearing on the management of these children in our setting. Objective The study aimed at determining the prevalence of OME, and describing the tympanometry patterns among children with CP aged 6 months to 7 years. Methodology This was a comparative cross-sectional study conducted among children with CP, and a comparative group matched for age and sex in a ratio of 1:2. The study was conducted at CoRSU Hospital, with a total of 120 participants aged 6 months to 7 years. The diagnosis of OME was confirmed by a type B tympanogram. The other tympanometry patterns among the participants recruited were also collected. Data analysis was performed using STATA 14.0. Results The prevalence of OME was 77.5% among participants with CP, in comparison to 17.5% among those without cleft palate. The commonest tympanometry curve was a type B curve among participants with CP at 61.2%, compared to type A curve in the comparison group at 78.1%. Conclusion The prevalence of Otitis Media with Effusion was much higher among children with Cleft Palate compared to children without. Abnormal tympanometry patterns were common among participants with cleft palate.