Long-term hearing outcomes after recurrent acute otitis media during early childhood |
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| Authors: | Mattias Krakau Britta Rynnel Dagöö Sten Hellström Anna Granath |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden;2. Department of Clinical Science, Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden;3. Department of Audiology and Neurotology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden;4. Department of Clinical Science, Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Abstract: | Objective: To survey long-term hearing outcomes and middle ear pathology in a 30-year follow-up in individuals with onset of recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM) before three years of age.Methods: 28 adults, aged 30.1–31.8 years, who originally – at the age of 12–32 months – participated in a study on rAOM between 1979 and 1983, were re-examined regarding self-reported ear problems, current tympanic membrane changes and audiology. Thirteen subjects had suffered from rAOM during early childhood and 15 subjects served as a control group.Results: Recurrent acute otitis media subjects reported hearing problems comparable to those of the controls. Pure tone audiometry, at 125–8000?Hz, did not differ between groups. The rAOM group had a trend for impaired high-frequency (9000–14,000?Hz) threshold levels (9000–14,000?Hz); implying that their cochlear function seemed to have deteriorated.Conclusions: Adults, who suffered from recurrent acute otitis media as infants, did not show any clinically significant hearing loss for pure tone audiometry when compared to controls, but there was a trend for impaired results regarding extended high frequency audiometry (9–14?kHz). Children suffering from rAOM will be at low risk of developing hearing loss and severe middle ear disease. |
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| Keywords: | Follow-up acute otitis media hearing |
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