Late effects on ear disease in otitis-prone children: a long-term follow-up study.

A group of 88 otitis-prone children, 66% boys and 34% girls, born in 1978-81 with more than 11 episodes of acute otitis media, were examined in 1984-85. Seventy-four of the children (with the same distribution of sex) were reexamined in 1990-92. Their medical history of ear, nose and throat diseases was studied and an examination, including otomicroscopy, tympanometry and audiometry, was performed. Fifty-one (69%) continued to have episodes of acute otitis media during the follow-up period and 34 (46%) continued to have episodes of secretory otitis media. Surgery had been performed during this period in 25 (34%) and most common was the need for ventilation tubes. The condition of the tympanic membranes showed improvement for many children. In 1984-85, 31 (35%) of the children had normal tympanic membranes and in 1990-92, 44 (60%). Scar/tympanosclerosis was more common at the follow-up examination: 11 (13%) vs. 20 (27%). In 1984-85 one child was found to have a central perforation and in 1990-92, 5 children were found to have adhesive otitis, chronic secretory otitis or central perforation. No cases of cholesteatomas were found in 1984-85 or in 1990-92. Audiometry was found to be a poor indicator of ear-drum pathology The results support the opinion that otitis-prone children should be treated and continuously followed by an ear, nose and throat specialist until a stable normalization of the middle-car is observed.