Ventilating tubes in the middle ear.

One hundred children from 1 to 14 years of age had serous otitis media, the manifestations of which were bilateral in all but four patients. Thus, 196 ears were treated with aeration of the middle ear by means of a short transmyringeal tube. The mean duration of the treatment was 3.4 years, and the mean observation time was 7.3 years. Of the ears treated, 79.1% regained normal hearing, though scarring of the tympanic membrane and smaller adhesions were observed. The result was not satisfactory in 20.9% of the ears treated, the hearing losses varying from 25 to 60 dB. In 7.7% (15 ears) chronic otitis media developed; in 5.6% (11 of the 15 ears) cholesteatoma was confirmed surgically. Adhesive processes were present in 11.2%.