Age and hearing function in patients with chronic otitis media.

The effect of age on hearing function was assessed in 897 patients with chronic otitis media. Preoperatively, 3% of chronic ears were found to be totally deaf, anacusis being most frequent in patients over 60 years of age. Severe sensorineural hearing loss (preoperative bone conduction threshold worse than 30 dB) was observed in 10% of the patients, and the mean bone conduction thresholds elevated with increasing age. Sensorineural hearing loss was significantly more common in patients with cholesteatoma than in patients with chronic otitis media without cholesteatoma. Conductive hearing loss was less severe in paediatric patients than in patients over 30 years of age. Postoperative hearing results of paediatric patients did not differ significantly from those of adults. In contrast to some earlier studies, average postoperative hearing gain was as good in elderly patients as in younger patients.