title: Outcomes of cartilage tympanoplasty in the pediatric population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To justify the successful use of a patient selection algorithm based on age for primary cartilage tympanoplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series with chart review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care pediatric hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective chart review of patients between ages 4 and 13 years who underwent cartilage tympanoplasty for tympanic membrane perforations from August 2005 to November 2011. Demographics, complication data, and auditory outcomes were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were subdivided into 3 age groups. Group 1 consisted of patients younger than 7 years (n = 43); group 2, ages 7 to 10 years (n = 40); and group 3, ages 10 to 13 years (n = 36). Mean follow-up was 595 days (range, 48-1742). Complication rates respective to the 3 groups were as follows: remnant perforation (6.97%, 5.00%, 2.78%), revision tympanoplasty (2.33%, 2.50%, 0%), and need for tympanostomy tubes (4.65%, 2.50%, 0%). Logistic regression models were used to evaluate complication rates between groups. No significant differences were found (remnant perforation, P = .710; repeat tympanoplasty, P = .998; tympanostomy tubes, P = .875). No significance was found among audiological outcomes between the 3 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest cartilage tympanoplasty can be performed effectively in young children when appropriate conditions exist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, USA.
authors.forename: Adva B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Gluth
authors.forename: Page C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dornhoffer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004425:Ear Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000601:surgery*; D014433:Tympanoplasty