A longitudinal evaluation of hearing and ventilation tube insertion in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia.
BACKGROUND
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease, which primarily manifests with oto-sino-pulmonary symptoms. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is common from early childhood. The existing literature on OME management in PCD is conflicting. The goals of the present study were firstly to evaluate the long-term hearing in PCD patients and secondly to determine the influence of ventilation tube (VT) insertion on hearing and postoperative otorrhoea.


METHODS
A longitudinal retrospective study extracting the hearing level (pure tone average (0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz, PTA)) and tympanometry from the medical records. Furthermore, the patient files were reviewed for VT insertion and postoperative otorrhoea. Postoperative otorrhoea was defined prolonged when it lasted for four weeks or longer.


RESULTS
Fifty-seven patients were identified in a 30-year period, age 2-72 years, and 278 audiometries were evaluated. The median number of audiometries per patient was 3 (range 1-29) and the median follow-up was 60 months (range 0-351 months). The mean PTA was 34 dB HL in patients below six years of age and improved significantly (p < 0.0001) with age. VT insertion improved hearing; however, 48% of patients with VT insertion experienced prolonged otorrhoea.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study of PCD patients the hearing improved as a function of age as well as following VT insertion. However, VT insertion was also associated with prolonged otorrhoea.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Electronic address: tobiasnicolaiandersen@gmail.com.
Tobias Nicolai
TN
Andersen
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
Mikkel Christian
MC
Alanin
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
Christian
C
von Buchwald
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
Lars Holme
LH
Nielsen
D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006309:Hearing; D006801:Humans; D007619:Kartagener Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
Hearing; Kartagener's syndrome; Otitis media with effusion; Otorrhoea; Primary ciliary dyskinesia; Ventilation tubes