Otitis Media in Cleft Palate Children : A Prospective Survey

Abstract

Children with cleft palate and craniofacial anomalies are more prone to otitis media due to the anatomical defect of the cranial base and the eustachian tube. This prospective study was conducted in the cleft palate patients of the Craniomaxillofacial Clinic from January 2001 to April 2002. Pneumatic otoscopic examination was done monthly in every patient since they registered in the clinic for cleft palate correction. Thirty-eight children were included. Mean age was 21.4 ± 33.7 months and 89.5% of the children were under 24 months old. Mean time for follow up was 150 ± 132 days (mean ± S.D.). Twenty-six patients (68.4%) had ear diseases at least once during the study period. Otitis media with effusion (OME) was the most common ear disease found in this series. Twenty-one percent of the patients had at least one episode of OME by the age of one and 47.5% of the patients had at least one episode of OME by the age of two. The incidence of OME was 3.85 per person per year. Acute otitis media and atelectatic ear drum were found with the incidence of 0.51 and 0.30 per person per year respectively. Tympanogram type B was found in 47.4% and type C was found in 10.5%. Periodical ear examination in cleft palate children is recommended for early detection of otitis media in order to prevent irreversible middle ear damage or hearing loss in the future.