title: Ossicular Chain Lesions in Tympanic Perforations and Chronic Otitis Media without Cholesteatoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The first aim was to determine the prevalence, kind, and functional effects on hearing of ossicular chain suffering (OCS) in chronic otitis without cholesteatoma (NCOM) and tympanic perforations (TP). The second aim was to correlate the findings with clinical parameters and hearing level.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised 250 consecutive patients affected by NCOM and who were subjected to tympanoplasty and never operated on before. Each patient underwent preoperative pure tone audiometry. Ossicles were evaluated during surgery. The incidence of OCS in NCOM was reported in 15-62% of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ossicular chain suffering was found in 26 out of the 250 patients included in the overall sample (10%). It was found in 7% of the patients affected by TP without otorrhea and in 19% of the patients affected by chronic ear discharge with drum perforation. OCS was found most frequently in posterior eardrum perforations and in patients with bilateral disease. The incus was the ossicle most frequently interested by resorption (92% of the patients). The air conduction threshold and air bone gap were more impaired in NCOM than in TP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ossicular chain damages in patients with non-cholesteatomatous middle ear pathologies are not frequent and are present in no more than 10% of the patients, but lesions found were similar to those reported in patients with cholesteatoma. Otorrhea, posterior perforation, and bilateral disease can be considered as good predictors of OCS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ear Nose Throat, University of Torino, Torino, Italy. federico.dagna@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albera
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dagna
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Filippini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albera
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000379:methods*