Tympanosclerosis of the drum in secretory otitis after insertion of grommets

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Abstract
In 193 consecutive children with bilateral secretory otitis, intubation and adenoidectomy were performed on the right ear and paracentesis on the left. Changes in the ear drum were analyzed at re-evaluation 1-3 yr after operation. In ears that had been intubated, tympanosclerosis occurred significantly more frequently (48%) than in ears that had not been intubated (10%). The frequency of atrophy of the pars tensa was the same. Of the right ears, 10% were re-intubated, compared with 23% of the left ears. The cause of the increased frequency of tympanosclerosis in the intubated ears must be mechanical, as decreased movements of the drum with inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia impede spontaneous normalization and promote hyalinization and calcification. The hearing was similar in ears with and without tympanosclerosis.