AGE AND HEARING FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OTITIS-MEDIA

The effect of age on hearing function was assessed in 897 patients wit h chronic otitis media. Preoperatively, 3% of chronic ears were found to be totally deaf, anacusis being most frequent in patients over 60 y ears of age. Severe sensorineural hearing loss (preoperative bone cond uction thresholds worse than 30 dB) was observed in 10% of the patient s, and the mean bone conduction thresholds elevated with increasing ag e. Sensorineural hearing loss was significantly more common in patient s with cholesteatoma than in patients with chronic otitis media withou t 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 thos e of adults. In contrast to some earlier studies, average postoperativ e hearing gain was as good in elderly patients as in younger patients.