title: A longitudinal study on pediatric myringoplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Observational study on pediatric myringoplasty to examine the success rate in young and older children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one first-time primary myringoplasties were analyzed on children aged 4 to 13 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using life-table analysis, the survival course of the graft in young children (aged 4-8 yr) was compared with those in older children (aged 9-13 yr). The effect of age on various outcome parameters, including otitis media with effusion/atelectasis, discharge, and hearing, was analyzed using the 12-month data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3-year graft take rate was 83.8% (95% confidence interval: 70.2, 97.5%). At 12 months, only 63.0% (42.4, 80.6%) were free of otitis media with effusion/atelectasis and discharge and preserved their hearing. There is no evidence of a difference in outcome in young and older children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no evidence that age influenced surgical outcome in pediatric myringoplasty. Although the graft take rate was more than 80%, true success was only found in two thirds of cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UK. matthewyung@btconnect.com
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.forename: Codruta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Vowler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009225:Myringoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome