title: The prevalence of tympanic membrane and related middle ear pathology in children: a large longitudinal cohort study followed from birth to age ten.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To record with video-otoscopy the appearance of the tympanic membranes of a cross section of children aged 9 to 10 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study nested within an established longitudinal study of childhood development, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
  
  
  METHODS
  South West England, U.K.
  
  
  METHODS
  Approximately 6908 of 7261 children with ages ranging from 105 to 140 months born between April 1, 1991, and December 31, 1992, were examined by trained technicians with video-otoscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two photographs were taken of each child's tympanic membranes to show the features of the pars tensa and the pars flaccida.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In just less than three quarters of the children, both ears were normal. Retraction of the pars flaccida was present in 9.6% of children, and that of the pars tensa was present in 7.9%. Most of these changes were mild with few severe retractions. There were 15 cases of overt or suspected cholesteatoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tympanic membrane changes reflect most of the middle ear disease seen in 9- to 10-year-old children. The prevalence is low, and few children have serious disease at this stage.
authors: Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, UK.
authors: A Richard
authors: AR
authors: Maw
authors: Amanda J
authors: AJ
authors: Hall
authors: David D
authors: DD
authors: Pothier
authors: Steven P
authors: SP
authors: Gregory
authors: Colin D
authors: CD
authors: Steer
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology*; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology