Comparative study of tympanoplasty and its outcome in various age groups using the middle ear risk index scale

Abstract

Introduction: Otitis media is an important and a highly prevalent disease of the middle ear and poses serious health problem world-wide especially in developing countries where large percentage of the population lacks specialized medical care. With a large number of patients frequently undergoing tympanoplasty for chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), it is important to assess the severity of the disease and predict the outcome of the surgical management. Aims and Objectives: To study the efficiency of MERI in predicting the outcome of tympanoplasty in all age-groups. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was carried out in the department of Ear Nose and Throat (ENT), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, where all cases of chronic suppurative otitis media in the age-group of 8-40 years were included from September, 2017 to December, 2018. Total 74 patients with unilateral or bilateral perforation of tympanic membrane were included and these were followed-up for 4 months after surgery. Results: Maximum cases fell under MERI 1-3 (mild disease) and these patients had the best prognosis after tympanoplasty. Patients with unilateral perforation had better success rate as compared to patients with bilateral perforation. Conclusion: Our study showed that myringoplasty is a good treatment modality in the paediatric population and MERI scoring can be useful in predicting the outcome of tympanoplasty in all age-groups. © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.