Do patients with sclerotic mastoids require aeration to improve success of tympanoplasty?

CONCLUSION

We could not find any significant difference in the results for graft success rate and functional hearing results between the myringoplasty and tympano-mastoidectomy groups. So mastoidectomy may not be necessary for successful tympanic membrane reconstruction and hearing improvement.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of aerating mastoidectomy on the surgical success rate of myringoplasty.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study. Data were analyzed from 92 patients who underwent surgical repair of tympanic membrane perforations due to chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) without cholesteatoma. Tympano-mastoidectomy was performed in 46 patients with a small sclerotic mastoid. The other 46 patients underwent myringoplasty without mastoidectomy. Patients were evaluated for success in tympanic membrane reconstruction and hearing levels after a minimum follow-up duration of 1 year.

RESULTS

Tympanic membrane perforation closure was successful in 76.1% (n = 35) of the 46 patients undergoing myringoplasty and in 78.3% (n = 36) of the 46 patients undergoing myringoplasty with mastoidectomy. The difference between the closure rates of the two groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The difference between the two groups for hearing gain was also not statistically significant (p > 0.05).