Department of ENT, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Department of Surgery, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
J Laryngol Otol. 2021 Jul;135(7):620-624. doi: 10.1017/S0022215121001444. Epub 2021 Jun 3.
In adults, otitis media with effusion causes considerable morbidity and has poorly established outcomes. A small number of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients present with isolated ear-related symptoms. The investigation of choice for these patients is a point of debate.
A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a local database of adult patients who underwent examination under anaesthesia of the post-nasal space with grommet insertion for otitis media with effusion between January 2014 and January 2016.
Ninety-eight patients met the inclusion criteria. Follow-up duration ranged from 39 to 63 months. Complications of grommets were present in 36 out of 98 patients (36.73 per cent). The findings of examination under anaesthesia of the post-nasal space were documented as abnormal in three patients. No patient was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Grommets in adults with otitis media with effusion as the sole presenting feature carry a high complication rate, especially in those with previously inserted grommets. Examination under anaesthesia of the post-nasal space offers a low yield. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the post-nasal space may be a more sensitive alternative.
成人分泌性中耳炎发病率较高，但其治疗效果尚不明确。部分鼻咽癌患者可能仅表现为耳部相关症状。针对此类患者，选择何种检查方法存在争议。
本研究为回顾性队列研究，纳入 2014 年 1 月至 2016 年 1 月间因分泌性中耳炎于全身麻醉下接受后鼻道检查并置入鼓膜通气管的成年患者。
共 98 例患者符合纳入标准，随访时间为 39-63 个月。98 例患者中有 36 例（36.73%）发生通气管相关并发症。3 例患者后鼻道检查结果异常，但均未诊断为鼻咽癌。
以分泌性中耳炎为唯一表现的成年患者中，鼓膜通气管的并发症发生率较高，特别是既往曾置入通气管者。全身麻醉下后鼻道检查的阳性率较低。后鼻道磁共振成像检查可能是一种更敏感的替代方法。
