title: Audiological profile in older children and adolescents with unrepaired cleft palate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the audiological profile in the cleft population comprising older children and adolescents with unrepaired cleft palate and to arrive at a consensus regarding management of otitis media with effusion in this unique group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care institute in Chandigarh, Punjab, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study based on all patients older than 7 years with unrepaired cleft palate, attending the plastic surgery outpatient department, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Punjab, India, from January 2001 to December 2002. Patients with submucous cleft were excluded from the study. General characteristics, otoscopic findings, pure tone audiometry, and impedence audiometry of all patients were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' ages ranged from 8 to 18 years, with a mean of 10.5 years. Regarding otological complaints, 86.7% were asymptomatic. Otoscopic findings revealed mild retraction as the most common finding in 50% of the ears. Type B curve was the most common tympanometric finding. The highest and lowest hearing thresholds recorded were 45 db and 15 db, respectively, with a mean of 27.11 db.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The audiological profile of this unique group, which neither had undergone palatoplasty nor had received treatment for the ear condition, demonstrates a mild to moderate hearing impairment. This definitely requires treatment, but owing to the lack of a prospective control group, it is difficult to conclude whether these patients are benefited by conservative treatment alone or by an early aggressive surgical treatment for otitis media with effusion (OME).
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Yamani Venkata
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Ramana
authors.forename: Vipul
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nanda
authors.forename: Gautam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chittoria
authors.forename: Shakuntala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Ramesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000293:Adolescent; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D038781:Otoscopy; D011446:Prospective Studies