Abstract

Incidence of COM is more common in developing countries, and affects both sexes and all age groups. Its overall prevalence rate in India is 46/1000 in rural population compared to 16/1000 in urban population. The hallmark presenting symptoms of COM are ear discharge and hearing loss. Ear discharge in active mucosal COM is mucoid or mucopurulent, non-offensive, constant or intermittent. Symptoms aggrevate mostly during upper respiratory tract infection or entry of water into the ear. Clinical examination including general physical examination, systemic examination, otological examination, tuning fork tests and examination under the microscope was done. Tympanic membrane perforations were classified into small, medium, subtotal and total perforations based on the number of quadrants involved, perforations limited to one quadrant were classified as small perforations, involving two quadrants as medium, three quadrants as subtotal and all the four quadrants with intact annulus as total perforations. In our study, out of 51 cases, 32 were males forming 62% of the total sample and 19 were females forming 38% of the total sample. The operated ear was more commonly left ear (29) forming 57% of the total sample and the rest right sided ear forming 43% of the total operated ears.

Description