Hearing Thresholds and Tympanic Membrane Sequelae in Children Managed Medically or Surgically for Otitis Media With Effusion

Abstract

In children who were candidates for ventilation tube insertion randomly assigned to receive medical or VT treatment for otitis media with effusion, elevated hearing thresholds and tympanic membrane pathologic abnormalities were more common in VT subjects 6 to 10 years after insertion.

Middle Ear Function in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected South African Children

“…When various antibiotic regimens are unsuccessful, chronic otitis media can also be treated with tympanostomy tubes. The risk here is that the use of tubes has been shown to lead to higher pure-tone thresholds [14]. The benefits of treatment should therefore be weighed against the side effects, since permanent hearing loss such as this can impact a child's speech and language development [15][16][17].…”

Comparison between myringotomy and tympanostomy tubes in combination with adenoidectomy in 3–7-year-old children with otitis media with effusion

“…In contrast, Gates et al [4] recommended adenoidectomy with myringotomy as first line therapy on children 4 years and older with chronic OME. Since tube insertion may cause a certain number of adverse effects [5,6], it is important to determine whether myringotomy is equally as effective as insertion of ventilation tubes in reducing middle ear disease.…”

A systematic review of the effect of tympanostomy tubes in children with recurrent acute otitis media

“…A meta-analysis from 2001 on 134 papers showed a relative risk of 3.5 for atrophy or retraction pocket in the tympanic membrane after tube insertion [14]. In 2005 Stenstrom in a 6-to 10-year follow-up after randomization to medical or ventilation tube treatment (T-tubes) found 2-8 dB poorer hearing in the tube treated group [15].…”