Myringoplasty: long-term results in adults and children.

This report presents the long-term results 3 years after primary myringoplasties performed with formolized fascia temporalis autografts. The overall closure rate was 87.7% of cases, with improvement in hearing in 67.2% of cases. The best results were achieved with total perforations, and not with partial posterior perforations, contrary to popular opinion. The anterior perforations were the most difficult to close. Anterior angle blunting was avoided by careful technique. Although the results of myringoplasty are clearly better in adults than in children, there is not a determined "frontier age" before which a child may not undergo operation. The state of the middle ear at the time of operation influences surgical outcome: wet ears have a higher rate of perforation, myringitis, and retraction pocket. Medical treatment is recommended prior to surgery in every discharging ear, as a diagnostic method rather than a therapeutic one. If the ear remains wet, chronic otitis media should be considered rather than simple perforation of the eardrum, and a mastoidectomy should be combined with the myringoplasty.