Biomaterial Database

Otorrhea after grommet insertion for middle ear effusion in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. 1999

W K Ho, and W I Wei, and A P Yuen, and Y Hui, and S H Wong

Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, PRC.

OBJECTIVE To document the incidence of complications after myringotomy and grommet insertion in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The focus is on the incidence of otorrhea and perforation. The possible risk factors for these conditions and treatment response were studied. METHODS We reviewed the records on 206 ears of 163 patients who suffered from nasopharyngeal carcinoma and underwent myringotomy and grommet insertion in a 7-year period. The follow-up period ranged from 4 weeks to 78 months (median, 9 months). RESULTS The overall incidence of otorrhea in these ears was 38%. Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) had a significantly high incidence of postoperative discharge (chi2 test, P<.0001) compared with other patients who underwent myringotomy and grommet insertion. The mean interval between myringotomy and otorrhea was 19.8 weeks. Forty-seven per cent of the ears with a discharge developed otorrhea within 1 month. In 42%, the otorrhea responded to treatment and the ears became dry. After extrusion of the grommet, 29% of those ears with otorrhea ended with an eardrum perforation, and 24% of the ears showed recurrent effusion. CONCLUSIONS For patients with NPC who underwent myringotomy, there was a significant risk of otorrhea (49%) and persistent perforation (29%), and these complications were difficult to manage. We conclude that myringotomy and grommet insertion should not be routinely offered to NPC patients with middle ear effusion.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D008876	Middle Ear Ventilation	Ventilation of the middle ear in the treatment of secretory (serous) OTITIS MEDIA, usually by placement of tubes or grommets which pierce the TYMPANIC MEMBRANE.	Grommet Insertion,Tympanostomy Tube Insertion,Ventilation, Middle Ear,Myringostomy,Tympanostomy,Ear Ventilation, Middle,Ear Ventilations, Middle,Grommet Insertions,Insertion, Grommet,Insertion, Tympanostomy Tube,Insertions, Grommet,Insertions, Tympanostomy Tube,Middle Ear Ventilations,Myringostomies,Tube Insertion, Tympanostomy,Tube Insertions, Tympanostomy,Tympanostomies,Tympanostomy Tube Insertions,Ventilations, Middle Ear
D009303	Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the NASOPHARYNX.	Cancer of Nasopharynx,Nasopharyngeal Cancer,Cancer of the Nasopharynx,Nasopharynx Cancer,Nasopharynx Neoplasms,Neoplasms, Nasopharyngeal,Cancer, Nasopharyngeal,Cancer, Nasopharynx,Cancers, Nasopharyngeal,Cancers, Nasopharynx,Nasopharyngeal Cancers,Nasopharyngeal Neoplasm,Nasopharynx Cancers,Nasopharynx Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Nasopharyngeal,Neoplasm, Nasopharynx,Neoplasms, Nasopharynx
D010034	Otitis Media with Effusion	Inflammation of the middle ear with a clear pale yellow-colored transudate.	Middle Ear Effusion,Otitis Media, Secretory,Otitis Media, Serous,Ear Effusion, Middle,Ear Effusions, Middle,Effusion, Middle Ear,Effusions, Middle Ear,Middle Ear Effusions,Secretory Otitis Media,Serous Otitis Media
D002558	Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea	Discharge of cerebrospinal fluid through the external auditory meatus or through the eustachian tube into the nasopharynx. This is usually associated with CRANIOCEREBRAL TRAUMA (e.g., SKULL FRACTURE involving the TEMPORAL BONE;), NEUROSURGICAL PROCEDURES; or other conditions, but may rarely occur spontaneously. (From Am J Otol 1995 Nov;16(6):765-71)	Cerebrospinal Otorrhea,Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea, Post-Traumatic,Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea, Spontaneous,Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea, Traumatic,Otorrhea, Cerebrospinal Fluid, Post-Traumatic,Otorrhea, Cerebrospinal Fluid, Spontaneous,Otorrhea, Cerebrospinal Fluid, Traumatic,Otorrhea, Post-Traumatic, Cerebrospinal Fluid,Otorrhea, Spontaneous, Cerebrospinal Fluid,Otorrhea, Traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid,Post-Traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea,Post-Traumatic Otorrhea, Cerebrospinal Fluid,Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea,Spontaneous Otorrhea, Cerebrospinal Fluid,Traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea,Traumatic Otorrhea, Cerebrospinal Fluid,Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea, Post Traumatic,Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrheas,Otorrhea, Cerebrospinal,Otorrhea, Cerebrospinal Fluid,Post Traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea,Post Traumatic Otorrhea, Cerebrospinal Fluid
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D015994	Incidence	The number of new cases of a given disease during a given period in a specified population. It also is used for the rate at which new events occur in a defined population. It is differentiated from PREVALENCE, which refers to all cases in the population at a given time.	Attack Rate,Cumulative Incidence,Incidence Proportion,Incidence Rate,Person-time Rate,Secondary Attack Rate,Attack Rate, Secondary,Attack Rates,Cumulative Incidences,Incidence Proportions,Incidence Rates,Incidence, Cumulative,Incidences,Person time Rate,Person-time Rates,Proportion, Incidence,Rate, Attack,Rate, Incidence,Rate, Person-time,Rate, Secondary Attack,Secondary Attack Rates