THE CONTRALATERAL EAR IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OTITIS-MEDIA

The status and hearing function of the contralateral ears in 493 patie nts undergoing surgery for chronic otitis media were studied at the fi nal follow-up examination of the patients (on average, 6.5 years after the surgical treatment). In only 37% of the patients was the contrala teral ear found to be normal, with atrophy of the pars tensa and tympa nosclerosis being the most common abnormal findings, followed by pars tensa and attic retractions. In 18% of the patients, the contralateral ear had also undergone surgery. In only 64% of the patients, the cont ralateral ears had normal (less than or equal to 20 dB) hearing levels , and in 21%, the hearing levels were >30 dB, the hearing function of patients with cholesteatoma being worse than that of other patients wi th chronic otitis media. In 14 (3%) of the patients, even the better h earing ear had a hearing level of >60 dB, including one patient with b oth ears totally deaf. To improve the functional outcome of patients w ith chronic otitis media, earlier and more effective treatment of midd le ear infections is needed.