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Findings at exploratory tympanotomy for conductive hearing loss

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2009

G Robertson  and
R Mills
G Robertson*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
R Mills
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr G Robertson, Victoria Hospital, Hayfield Road, Kirkcaldy, Fife KY2 5AH Scotland, UK. Fax: 0141 201 0865 E-mail: gxrobertson@gmail.com
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Abstract

Introduction:

Despite advances in imaging and other diagnostic tests, it is often impossible to establish with confidence a pre-operative diagnosis in a patient with a conductive hearing loss.

Methods:

We studied a series of 340 exploratory tympanotomies for conductive hearing loss carried out by a single surgeon.

Results:

The most common operative diagnosis was otosclerosis (n = 164, 48.2 per cent). Ossicular discontinuity was found more commonly than previously reported (n = 103, 30.3 per cent). A small but significant number of patients were found to have cholesteatoma (n = 7.2 per cent).

Conclusions:

This information is of value when discussing potential findings at surgery for conductive hearing loss. While otosclerosis is the commonest finding in such cases, a significant number of patients have defects of the ossicular chain.

Keywords

Conductive Hearing LossOtosclerosisCholesteatomaOtologic Surgical Procedures

Information

Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 123 , Issue 10 , October 2009 , pp. 1087 - 1089
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2009

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Footnotes

Presented at the Scottish Otolaryngology Society Summer Meeting, 9th May 2008, Pitlochry, Scotland, UK.

References

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