Audiological profile in older children and adolescents with unrepaired cleft palate.
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).
Ramana
Yamani Venkata
YV
Department of Plastic Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Punjab, India.
Nanda
Vipul
V
Biswas
Gautam
G
Chittoria
Ravi
R
Ghosh
Shakuntala
S
Sharma
Ramesh K
RK
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