title: Endoscopic Adenoidectomy in Children With Otitis Media With Effusion and Mild Hearing Loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surgical management of children with chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) includes tympanostomy tube insertion or adenoidectomy, alone or with myringotomy and tube insertion. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of transoral microdebrider endoscopic-assisted adenoidectomy (TOMEA) and traditional adenoidectomy in the management of children with mild hearing loss due to OME and chronic adenoiditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective, double-blind and controlled study involved 120 consecutive patients aged 4-12 years, who were randomised 1:1 to undergo TOMEA or traditional adenoidectomy under general anesthesia. All the patients underwent a complete otolaryngological examination, including nasopharyngeal fibre endoscopy (NFE), pneumatic otoscopy, otomicroscopy, tympanometry and supraliminar tonal audiometry, upon enrolment, and three and nine months postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences in age or gender distribution between the TOMEA group (mean age, 4.9±1.1 years; 53.3% males) and the traditional adenoidectomy group (mean age, 5.3±0.9 years; 56.7% males). Both procedures led to a significant improvement in choanal patency (P<0.01) and all of the otological and audiological parameters (P<0.01) 3 and 9 months postoperatively, although postoperative NFE showed that the mean percentage of residual choanal obstruction was significantly less in the TOMEA group (P=0.02). There was no significant between-group difference in the percentage of children with tympanic membrane changes, but the postoperative prevalence of children with a type B tympanogram was significantly lower in the TOMEA group after 3 (15.0% vs. 31.7%, P=0.05) and 9 months (18.3% vs. 38.3%, P=0.02), as was the percentage of children with mild conductive hearing loss (3.3% vs. 23.3%, P<0.01; and 8.3% vs. 28.3%, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although both TOMEA and traditional adenoidectomy are effective in treating children with mild hearing loss due to adenoidal hypertrophy and OME, the former achieves the greater reduction in residual adenoidal hypertrophy and better audiological outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Surgical and Dental Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capaccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torretta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Givlia Anna
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Marciante
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiopathology and Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchisio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Surgical and Dental Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Forti
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pignataro
keywords: Adenoidectomy; Adenoids; Hearing Loss; Otitis Media