Ewj. Wielinga et al., TYMPANOSCLEROSIS IN THE TYMPANIC MEMBRANE - INFLUENCE ON OUTCOME OF MYRINGOPLASTY, The American journal of otology, 16(6), 1995, pp. 811-814
The effect of the presence of tympanosclerotic plaques in the tympanic
membrane on the outcome of a myringoplasty procedure was evaluated in
this retrospective study. Long-term results of 714 myringoplasties we
re analyzed, and of these, 555 were eligible for further study. Three
groups were studied separately:ears without tympanosclerosis, ears wit
h a plaque not exceeding one third of the tympanic membrane surface ar
ea, and ears with a plaque involving more than one third of the surfac
e area extending to the border of the perforation. The latter group wa
s subdivided into one in which during the operation the plaque was rem
oved and one in which it was left in place. Take rate percentages as w
ell as postoperative hearing results were calculated for each separate
group of ears. Concerning graft take rate, it is concluded that the p
resence of tympanosclerosis in the tympanic membrane played no substan
tial part in the long-term outcome. With regard to postoperative heari
ng results, however, this study shows an average hearing gain of 6 dB
when plaques exceeding one third of the tympanic membrane surface area
were removed as part of the myringoplasty procedure.