title: A comparison of preoperative characteristics of chronic otitis media in Down and non-Down syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate preoperative clinical findings of chronic otitis media (COM) in patients with Down and without (non-Down) syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Referral hospital, otolaryngology department.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with COM who underwent tympanoplasty were included. There were 10 ears of 8 patients (mean age, 14.9 yr) in the Down group and 44 ears of 41 patients (mean age, 14.7 yr) in the non-Down group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical characteristics, including the frequency of preoperative persistent otorrhea, cause of COM, and mastoid pneumatization (maturation), were compared between the 2 groups using clinical records and temporal bone computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preoperative persistent otorrhea was more frequent in the Down group (60%) than in the non-Down group (27.2%; p < 0.05). Perforation due to tympanostomy tube insertion also occurred more frequently in the Down group (100%) than in the non-Down group (53.3%; p < 0.05). Mastoid pneumatization occurred significantly less in the Down group than in the non-Down group (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in mastoid pneumatization regardless of the presence or absence of a past history of tympanostomy tube insertion in the Down group (p = 0.3, t test) unlike that in the non-Down group (p < 0.05, t test). All ears attained a dry condition with no perforated eardrums.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequent draining ear and extremely immature mastoid pneumatization, regardless of the presence or absence of a past history of tympanostomy tube insertion, were clinically important characteristics of COM in patients with Down syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Jichi Medical University, Saitama Medical Center, Omiya-ku, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shinnabe
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Masayo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuzawa
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002781:Cholesteatoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000601:surgery; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000379:methods*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000379:methods*