title: [Clinical observation of placement of tympanostomy microtube to treat middle ear atelectasis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the treatment efficacy of tympanostomy microtube placement surgery for middle ear atelectasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was conducted on 26 patients (28 ears) with middle ear atelectasis, who complained fullness or pressure in the ears.Otoscope showed tympanic membrane invagination, scattered or disappeared cone of light, tympanic membrane was pale and dull. The pure tone audiometry air-bone gap >10 dB. Acoustic immittance showed tympanic negative pressure. All the ears had atelectasis of I-III grade. Patients were performed tympanic membrane microtube placement under local anesthesia, and were followed up for 6-12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five ears recovered from the fullness after operation, in which, 23 ears reverted from type "C" to type "A" in acoustic immittance tests and the pure-tone average (PTA) of hearing thresholds were decreasing from 5 to 20 dB, while 2 ears relapse after removal of the microtube. Three ears with middle ear atelectasis of III grade were ineffectiveness. All the 26 cases had no complications including middle ear infection, tympanosclerosis, and permanent perforation after removal of the microtubes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The placement of tympanostomy microtube can be used to treat middle ear atelectasis, especially to the patients with middle ear atelectasis of I-II grade as it is effective on elimination of middle ear negative pressure and remission of fullness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Muping People's Hospital, Yantai Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical College,Yantai 264100, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Muping People's Hospital, Yantai Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical College,Yantai 264100, China.
authors.forename: Ji-liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: DU
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Yantai 264000, China. Email: ytebhzqq@163.com.
authors.forename: Qing-quan
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Qing-dong
authors.initials: QD
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qing-long
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hai-hua
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Da-wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004432:Ear, Middle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000601:surgery