Postoperative results for cholesteatoma in children

OBJECTIVES: to review the postoperative results for cholesteatoma in children. MATERIALS: 32 ears with acquired cholesteatoma in children operated on by a single surgeon between 1987 and 1995 and followed up more than 2 years. The mean follow-up period was 5.4 years. RESULTS: a one-stage operation was performed in seven ears (21.9%) and preplanned stage operation in 25 ears (78.1%). In the first operation, closed tympanoplasty was performed in 31 ears (96.9%) and open tymapanoplasty in one ear (3.1%). During the second stage operation, residual cholesteatoma was found in 16 ears (64.0%). Recurrent cholesteatoma was detected in 19.4% of ears treated with closed tympanoplasty. The mean postoperative air conduction hearing level was within 20 dB in 12.5%, 30 dB in 40.6% and 40 dB in 78.1%. The hearing results of type III tympanoplasty was better than those of type IV tympanoplasty. CONCLUSIONS: preplanned stage tympanoplasty is safer because of the high risk of recurrent and residual cholesteatoma. Surgical methods should be selected flexibly in individual cases depending upon cavity size, eustachian tube function and hearing level. Cholesteatoma in children should be operated on while stapes is present.     

Surgical results of canal wall reconstruction tympanoplasty in middle ear cholesteatoma

Materials were 236 ears of 213 patients with middle ear cholesteatoma undergoing canal wall reconstruction during 1993-1998. Subjects were followed up for at least 1 year after final operation. Of 236 ears, 147 (62%) underwent 1-stage operation and 89 ears (38%) required 2-stage operation. Hearing results were successful in 157 ears (67%) based on criteria proposed by the Otological Society of Japan. The success in ears undergoing 1-stage operation was 74% and 54% in ears undergoing 2-stage operation. Postoperative hearing and air-bone gap in the 1-stage group were significantly better than in the 2-stage group. For tympanoplasty, success was 97% in type I, 64% in type III, and 53% in type IV. The likelihood of undergoing 2-stage operation increased with the type of tympanoplasty, from type I to IV. Postoperative hearing was significantly worse in older age groups. Of the 89 ears, 13 (15%) had recurrent cholesteatoma and 29 (33%) had residual cholesteatoma at 2-stage operation. In the 135 in the 1-stage group, recurrent cholesteatoma was observed at follow-up in 13 ears (9.6%). When we analyzed clinical risk factors for both recurrent and residual cholesteatoma in age, gender, otorrhea, types of cholesteatoma, and types of tympanoplasty, no significant factors were seen for recurrent or residual cholesteatoma. These results indicate that canal wall reconstruction tympanoplasty for middle ear cholesteatoma yields relatively good hearing results. However, more effort is needed to reduce the incidence of recurrent and residual cholesteatoma.     

完壁式乳突根治鼓室成形术治疗胆脂瘤中耳炎

目的:探讨完壁式乳突根治鼓室成形术治疗胆脂瘤中耳炎的临床效果和相关的经验教训.方法:对57例胆脂瘤中耳炎患者实施完壁式乳突根治鼓室成形术.结果:随访1～8年,平均3.7年.术后5例感染流脓,其中3例经及时处理得到控制并愈合,2例二次手术处理后愈合;3例术后因胆脂瘤复发行开放式乳突手术获干耳;鼓膜完整但有内陷者29例,其中2级内陷者13例;术后8个月及1年人工听骨脱出各1例.术后言语频率气导听阈降低>10 dB HL为72.2%(39/54),气骨导差<20 dB HL为53.7%(29/54),气骨导差缩小25 dB HL以上占42.6%(23/54).结论:施行完壁式乳突根治鼓室成形术,如果适应证掌握得当,技术条件许可,患者能按时随访.可以有效保留原中耳乳突解剖结构和改善听力,提高患者生活质量,应予优先选择该术式.     

中耳胆脂瘤和慢性化脓性中耳炎手术临床分析

目的　探讨中耳胆脂瘤和慢性化脓性中耳炎术式选择及临床效果。方法　对110例中耳乳突病变,包括中耳胆脂瘤和慢性化脓性中耳炎,根据范围显微镜下实施完壁式或开放式乳突根治,部分同时鼓室成形术,随访术后干耳状况、并发症、复发情况以及术后听力改善程度等。结果　110例患者中66例中耳胆脂瘤、44例慢性化脓性中耳炎,出现颅内外并发症者7例。手术方式：51例（46.36%）行完壁式乳突根治术,46例（41.81%）同时行鼓室成形术,59例（53.64%）行开放式乳突根治术。完壁式乳突根治术后听 力提高＞25 dB 37例（33.64%）,＞15 dB 14例（12.72%）;开放式乳突根治术后听力提高＞15 dB 5例（4.55%）,听力减退4例（3.64%）,比较手术前后言语频率区平均听阈,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。术后随访1年发现开放式和完壁式两组胆脂瘤复发共4例。结论　中耳胆脂瘤与慢性化脓性中耳炎通过选择恰当手术方式可获得较好的临床疗效。     

Combined Heermann and Tos (CHAT) technique in cholesteatoma surgery: surgical technique and preliminary results

The combined Heermann and Tos (CHAT) technique is the combination of Heermann's 'cartilage palisade tympanoplasty' and Tos's 'modified combined approach tympanoplasty = modified intact canal wall mastoidectomy'. The first author (Cem Uzun) performed the CHAT technique as a one-stage operation in 15 ears of 15 patients with cholesteatoma. Two patients (one with a follow up of less than six months and one who did not show up at the final re-evaluation) were excluded from the study. Median age in the remaining 13 patients was 37 years (range: 14-57 years). Cholesteatoma type was attic, sinus (Tos tensa type 1) and tensa retraction (Tos tensa type 2) in six, five and two ears, respectively. Cholesteatoma stage was Saleh and Mills stage 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in one, three, four, four and one ear, respectively. The eustachian tube was not involved with cholesteatoma in any ear. After drilling of the superoposterior bony annulus, transcanal atticotomy with preservation of thin bridge and cortical mastoidectomy with intact canal wall, the cholesteatoma was removed, and the eardrum and atticotomy were reconstructed with palisades of auricular cartilage. Type I tympanoplasty was performed in two ears, type II in nine ears and type III (stapes absent) in two ears, with either autologous incus (eight cases), cortical bone (two) or auricular cartilage (one). No complication occurred before, during or after surgery. Oto-microscopy and audiometry were done before and at a median of 13 months after surgery (mean 14 months, range 7-30 months). There was no sign of residual or recurrent cholesteatoma in any patient during the follow-up period. At the final examination, all ears were dry and had an intact eardrum except one with a small, central hole, which had been seen since the early post-operative period. Clean and stable attic retraction with a wide access was observed in two ears. Post-operative hearing at the final evaluation was better (change > 10 dB) than the pre-operative one in nine ears and did not change in the remaining four. Pre- and post-operative mean hearing values were, pure-tone average 47 and 35 dB (p = 0.01) and air-bone gap 30 and 20 dB (p = 0.02), respectively. With the CHAT technique, cholesteatoma can be completely and safely removed from the middle ear, and a durable and resistant reconstruction of the middle ear with reasonable hearing can be achieved. However, a further study should analyse long-term results of a larger patient group.     

Role of ossiculoplasty in canal wall down tympanoplasty for middle-ear cholesteatoma: hearing results

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hearing results of ossiculoplasty in canal wall down tympanoplasty in one stage middle-ear cholesteatoma surgery. We carried out a retrospective review of a consecutive series of 142 cases which had undergone type two or three canal wall down tympanoplasty with ossicular reconstruction, between January 1995 and December 2002, due to chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma.Pre-operative audiometric testing revealed a mean air conduction pure tone average (PTA) of 50.97 dB and a mean bone conduction PTA of 22.14 dB. The mean post-operative result for air conduction PTA was 37.62 and for bone conduction PTA was 23.37 dB. The mean pre- and post-operative air-bone gaps (ABGs) were 28.83 and 13.94 dB, respectively, with a gain of 14.89 dB. Almost 62.67 per cent of patients closed their ABGs to within 20 dB. Our functional results are comparable with those of other authors. In the present study, we show that hearing improvement is possible following cholesteatoma surgery with canal wall down tympanoplasty and ossicular chain reconstruction.     

断桥式乳突根治术中用带蒂颞肌骨片重建外耳道后壁

目的 探讨在开放式鼓室成形术中，既能彻底清除病灶，又能恢复正常的中耳及外耳道解剖结构的方法，达到提高听力的目的。方法 用带蒂颞肌骨片对47例（耳）胆脂瘤型中耳炎病人于开放式鼓室成形术中，行外耳道壁修复重建术。结果 47例（耳）病人术后经0．5～3年随访，12耳听力提高15 dB （25．53％），15耳提高20dB（31．91％），7耳提高30dB（14．89％），3耳提高40dB（6．38％），2耳提高50dB（4．26％）；8耳提高小于15dB（17．02％）。所有重建的外耳道壁及中耳乳突腔均接近正常状态，无外耳道闭锁或塌陷。结论 利用带蒂颞肌骨片在开放式鼓室成形术中行外耳道壁重建，既能彻底清除中耳乳突腔内的胆脂瘤及肉芽组织，又能保证良好的外耳道和中耳的形态和功能。术后听力提高明显．是较为理想的手术方式。     

Hearing results after tympanoplasty in elderly patients with middle ear cholesteatoma

Many reports about the effect of aging on hearing results after tympanoplasty have been published. However, they have not been evaluated comprehensively, i.e. by taking into consideration other aspects which also affect the outcome. In this study, the effect of aging on hearing results after canal wall reconstruction tympanoplasty was assessed in 236 consecutive ears of 213 patients > 20 years old with middle ear cholesteatoma. The elderly group (n = 34), defined as patients > or = 60 years old, was compared to the younger groups in terms of hearing results of postoperative hearing level, hearing gain, A-B gap and change in bone conduction hearing level at 4000 Hz after adjustment for age, gender, staged operation, preoperative hearing level and type of tympanoplasty, all of which affect hearing results, using the generalized linear regression method. Postoperative hearing level and hearing gain were found to be better amongst patients aged 20-29 and 30-39 years than in the elderly group, whilst A-B gap did not differ between all age categories. Within the elderly group, air conduction hearing level was shown to have improved after surgery. Changes in bone conduction hearing level at 4000 Hz were not significantly different between the age groups, suggesting that operative stress, i.e. mechanical stress or ossicular manipulation stress, does not aggravate sensorineural hearing loss in the elderly. We conclude that surgeons should be encouraged to perform tympanoplasty aimed not only at eradicating the lesion itself but also at improving hearing acuity in the elderly.     

Hearing Results after Tympanoplasty in Elderly Patients with Middle Ear Cholesteatoma

Many reports about the effect of aging on hearing results after tympanoplasty have been published. However, they have not been evaluated comprehensively, i.e. by taking into consideration other aspects which also affect the outcome. In this study, the effect of aging on hearing results after canal wall reconstruction tympanoplasty was assessed in 236 consecutive ears of 213 patients > 20 years old with middle ear cholesteatoma. The elderly group ( n = 34), defined as patients &#83 60 years old, was compared to the younger groups in terms of hearing results of postoperative hearing level, hearing gain, A-B gap and change in bone conduction hearing level at 4000 Hz after adjustment for age, gender, staged operation, preoperative hearing level and type of tympanoplasty, all of which affect hearing results, using the generalized linear regression method. Postoperative hearing level and hearing gain were found to be better amongst patients aged 20-29 and 30-39 years than in the elderly group, whilst A-B gap did not differ between all age categories. Within the elderly group, air conduction hearing level was shown to have improved after surgery. Changes in bone conduction hearing level at 4000 Hz were not significantly different between the age groups, suggesting that operative stress, i.e. mechanical stress or ossicular manipulation stress, does not aggravate sensorineural hearing loss in the elderly. We conclude that surgeons should be encouraged to perform tympanoplasty aimed not only at eradicating the lesion itself but also at improving should be encouraged to perform hearing acuity in the elderly.     

保留乳突的改良完壁式鼓室成形术的临床疗效观察

目的 探讨局限于上鼓室区病变的慢性化脓性中耳炎、中耳胆脂瘤行上鼓室径路保留乳突的改良完壁式鼓室成形术的长期临床疗效.方法 诊断慢性化脓性中耳炎、中耳胆脂瘤47例(47耳)患者,结合患者专科检查,依据手术方式不同分A、B两组,A组行上鼓室径路保留乳突的改良完壁式鼓室成形术,B组行完壁式乳突切开+鼓室成形术.术后随访5～7...     

Tympanoplasty: review of 400 staged cases

Staging of tympanoplasty is important in the management of patients with chronic otitis media. It allows establishment of an air-containing middle ear space and adequate postoperative hearing levels in a large proportion of patients with severely diseased ears. The results of 400 staged procedures performed over a 3-year period at the House Ear Clinic, Los Angeles are reported. Staging was performed in 75% of tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy cases and in 15% of ears not requiring mastoid surgery. Closure of the air-bone gap to 20 dB or less occurred in 68% of patients with intact stapes. Mucous membrane problems were the most common reason for staging. Almost one third of cases with middle ear cholesteatoma at the first stage had residual disease on reexploration. Staging of tympanoplasty continues to be an important technique in management of severely diseased ears.     

慢性化脓性中耳炎患者鼓室成形术后骨导听力的改变

目的探讨合并骨导听力下降的慢性化脓性中耳炎患者鼓室成形术后骨导听力的变化及其相关因素。方法回顾性分析54例（61耳）合并骨导听力下降的慢性化脓性中耳炎行鼓室成形术患者的临床资料,分析患者术前、术后0．5、1、2、4kHz骨导听力的变化及其与病程、是否合并胆脂瘤、术式、是否行听骨链重建的关系。结果61耳术前骨导平均听力在4kHz处损害最为严重,术后4个频率听力均有不同程度的提高,提高幅度以2kHz处最为显著,术后骨导改善阳性（4个频率无一频率骨导听力下降,且有至少二个频率的骨导听力提高10dB以上）有32耳,阳性率为52．5%。病程长短及是否伴有胆脂瘤与术后骨导听力改善与否无明显相关。行听骨链重建的病例骨导听力提高明显优于未行听骨链重建病例。未行乳突切开的鼓室成形术和保留外耳道后壁的乳突切开鼓室成形术患者术后骨导改善较切除外耳道后壁的乳突切开鼓室成形术患者明显。结论伴骨导听力下降的慢性化脓性中耳炎经鼓室成形术后部分患者骨导听力可以提高,其术后听力改善程度与病程长短及是否伴有胆脂瘤无关,与手术方式有关。     

Tympanosclerosis involving the ossicular chain: mobility of the stapes in association with hearing results

CONCLUSION: The preoperative bone conduction level provides not only prognostic information but also information on the mobility of the stapes in tympanosclerosis. The surgical results depend upon the stapes mobility. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate operative findings and hearing results of tympanosclerosis involving the ossicular chain, in order to understand the pathophysiology and to establish better surgical treatment of tympanosclerosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1998 and March 2004, 29 patients (29 ears) with tympanosclerosis involving the ossicular chain underwent tympanoplasty at our hospital. Patients with myringosclerosis only, or with an associated cholesteatoma, were excluded from this study. The clinical and operational records and pre- and postoperative pure tone audiograms were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Intact canal wall tympanoplasty was applied to all 29 patients. A non-staged operation was performed on 21 patients, and a staged operation was performed on the remaining 8 patients. In 25 patients (86.2%), the sclerotic lesion of the ossicles was located in the epitympanum. In the remaining four, the sclerotic lamella coated only the ossicular chain. On average, the preoperative air conduction hearing level of 57.9 dB was significantly improved to 46.3 dB after tympanoplasty. The success rate of middle ear surgery was 65.5% (19 of 29 patients), according to the criteria of the Otological Society of Japan. In 16 patients (55.2%), the mobility of the stapes was preserved (group A), while in the remaining 13 patients (44.8%), the stapes was fixed (group B). The mean preoperative bone conduction of 25.5 dB in group A was significantly better than that of 37.2 dB in group B. The hearing result significantly improved in group A but not in group B. The success rates were 75% (12 of 16 patients) in group A and 53.8% (7 of 13 patients) in group B.     

Efficacy of middle ear surgery for patients with hearing aids and middle ear disease

Of 356 cases that underwent middle ear surgery for hearing improvement, 30 (8.4%) with air conduction hearing aids and middle ear disease were evaluated pre- and postoperatively. All surgeries were performed by the same surgeon. Diagnoses included 22 chronic otitis media, 5 chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma, 1 otosclerosis and 2 ossicular anomaly. Chief complaints at the first visit to Fukui Medical University Hospital were otorrhea (17 cases), hard of hearing (28 cases), dizziness (2 cases) and tinnitus (2 cases). Nineteen patients underwent surgery on both ears and eleven on one ear including five ears that showed better hearing preoperatively. Surgical procedures were tympanoplasty type I (15 cases), modified type III (8 cases), modified type IV (3 cases), stapedotomy (2 cases) and implantable hearing device (2 cases). After surgery, 16 patients (group 1) did not need hearing aids, while 14 (group 2) still needed hearing aids. Preoperative hearing was 64.1dB (n = 30) on average and average hearing one year after surgery in group 1 (35.4 +/- 14.1dB) was significantly better than in group 2 (58.1 +/- 18.4dB). After surgery, otorrhea stopped in all cases (100%), subjective hearing loss improved in 82% of the patients, vertigo improved in 100% and tinnitus improved in 50%. These results emphasize the benefits of surgical therapy, and the reasons why it should be recommended to patients with hearing aids and middle ear disease, such as to improve hearing disorders, to stop otorrhea and to prevent progressive sensorineural hearing loss.     

Congenital aural cholesteatoma: Results of surgery in 60 cases

From 1978 to 1993, 59 patients (60 ears) with congenital middle ear cholesteatoma were treated at the House Ear Clinic. The median patient age at presentation was 5 years, and the period of postoperative follow-up was 4.8 years. An intact canal wall was maintained in 58 of 60 cases and a closed middle ear space in all cases. In 12 operations, lateral graft tympanoplasty eradicated the cholesteatoma in one stage; 32 patients required a second-stage surgery to rule out recurrence, and the remaining 16 cases required three or more operations to eradicate disease and reconstruct the hearing mechanism. Thirty-five (63%) of 56 patients had a postoperative air-conduction threshold pure-tone average (PTA) within 10 dB of the best bone-conduction PTA; 91% were within 20 dB. Average speech reception threshold improved from 32 dB hearing level (HL) preoperatively to 20 dB HL postoperatively.     

上鼓室填塞术在开放式鼓室成形术中的应用

目的 探讨上鼓室填塞术在开放式鼓室成形术中的作用.方法 2010年～2015年对100例(100耳)慢性化脓性中耳炎患者行开放式鼓室成形术,术中均采用自体骨粉填塞上鼓室,术后6个月复查纯音听阈,随访1～5年,观察术后术腔及听力恢复情况.结果 100例(100耳)中,术后1～6月发生术腔感染5耳,术后1年再次发生内陷袋1耳;0.5、1、2 kHz气导纯音平均听阈由术前的43.2±2.3 dB HL下降至术后的29.8±1.7 dB HL(P＜0.01),术后气骨导差较术前缩小10.6±0.5 dB (P＜0.01).结论 开放式鼓室成形术中上鼓室自体骨粉填塞可以防止术后内陷袋再次形成,术后听力恢复满意,但前提是必须彻底清除病变.     

钛质人工听骨在开放式乳突根治鼓室成形术中的应用

目的探讨钛质人工听骨在开放式乳突根治鼓室成形术中的应用方法以及对听力的改善作用。方法51例53耳胆脂瘤中耳炎和慢性化脓性中耳炎患者行开放式乳突根治术加I期鼓室成形术,分为两组:人工听骨组28耳,术中使用Spiggle&Theis钛质人工听骨进行听骨链重建(partial ossicular replacement prosthesis,PORP21耳,total ossicular replacement prosthesis,TORP 7耳);非人工听骨组25耳,未使用人工听骨单纯行鼓室成形IIIa型术式。随访1～3年,纯音测听检测两组患者术前、术后的气导听阈及气骨导差(air-bone-gap,ABG),进行统计学分析。结果钛质人工听骨组术前ABG(36.9±11.6)dB,术后(22.4±11.8)dB,平均缩小(13.44±8.8)d B,术前术后相比差异有显著性(t=4.6 1 9 3,P<0.01),无1例出现听骨脱出;非人工听骨组术前ABG(38.5±12.3)dB,术后(31.3±14.4)dB,平均缩小(7.28±8.7)dB,术前术后相比差异无显著性(P>0.05)。钛质人工听骨组听力提高水平明显优于非人工听骨组,差异有显著性(t=2.3015,P<0.05)。结论开放式乳突根治鼓室成形术中使用人工听骨进行听骨链重建,能够提高患者听力,钛质人工听骨组织相容性好,无排斥脱出发生,是较为理想的听力重建材料。     

Posterior canal wall reconstruction tympanoplasty for operated ears with open mastoid

We investigated the postoperative conditions of ears and the hearing acuity of patients who underwent posterior canal wall reconstruction tympanoplasty for operated ears with open mastoid. The study included 118 ears of 105 patients (57 males, 48 females; age range 5-75 years) and the patients were followed for > 1 year after the final operation. Although 114 ears (97%) were dry after the final operation, retraction pockets and eardrums in a lateral position were observed in 5 ears and in 1 ear, respectively. Ossicular reconstruction was performed in 83 ears and in these the mean air conduction hearing levels were significantly improved after the final operation in those that were subjected to type III and IV tympanoplasty. These results indicate that posterior canal wall reconstruction tympanoplasty can be considered to be an effective procedure.     

胆脂瘤型和骨疡型中耳炎Ⅰ期鼓室成形术的疗效观察

目的：探讨胆脂瘤型和骨疡型中耳炎Ⅰ期鼓室成形术的可行性及疗效影响因素。方法：52例(52耳)慢性化脓性中耳炎(胆脂瘤型30耳，骨疡型22耳)患者在清除病变的同时行鼓室成形术，其中单纯鼓室成形术12耳，乳突根治加鼓室成形术40耳。结果：全部病例均干耳，无一例胆脂瘤复发。语频段听力提高30dB以上者5耳，提高20～29dB者9耳，提高10～19dB者31耳，小于10dB者7耳，无听力下降者。结论：胆脂瘤型和骨疡型中耳炎可行Ⅰ期鼓室成形术，鼓膜有效振动面积、镫骨及镫骨底板的活动度是影响听力的重要因素，咽鼓管功能不良是手术失败的主要原因。     

Posterior Canal Wall Reconstruction Tympanoplasty for Operated Ears with Open Mastoid

We investigated the postoperative conditions of ears and the hearing acuity of patients who underwent posterior canal wall reconstruction tympanoplasty for operated ears with open mastoid. The study included 118 ears of 105 patients (57 males, 48 females; age range 5-75 years) and the patients were followed for >1 year after the final operation. Although 114 ears (97%) were dry after the final operation, retraction pockets and eardrums in a lateral position were observed in 5 ears and in 1 ear, respectively. Ossicular reconstruction was performed in 83 ears and in these the mean air conduction hearing levels were significantly improved after the final operation in those that were subjected to type III and IV tympanoplasty. These results indicate that posterior canal wall reconstruction tympanoplasty can be considered to be an effective procedure.