• Y Li, L L Hunter, R H Margolis, S C Levine, B Lindgren, K Daly, and G S Giebink.
• Department of Otolaryngology, Otitis Media Research Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
• Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1999 Nov 1;121(5):514-22.

AbstractTympanic membrane retraction is a significant sequela of OME and has been linked clinically to atelectasis, ossicular erosion, and cholesteatoma. We investigated important factors for prediction of tympanic membrane retraction in a prospective study of 112 children. After 4 to 6 years of follow-up, 12% of ears had pars tensa retraction without atrophy, and 28% had various degrees of retraction with atrophy. Mild pars flaccida retraction was present in 23%, and severe pars flaccida retraction was present in 12%. Retraction severity was related to hearing level and multifrequency tympanometry. Three factors were significantly related to retraction severity: type of tube, male sex, and percent of visits in the second year with abnormal tympanograms. This study shows that type of tube was the most important factor in long-term outcome after tympanostomy tube treatment of OME.

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