Cartilage palisade tympanoplasty in children and adults: Long term results

ObjectiveTo show long-term anatomic and functional results of full thickness cartilage palisade tympanoplasty in children and adults.MethodsIn 51 patients (56 ears); 9 children (12 ears) and 42 adults (44 ears) full thickness cartilage palisade tympanoplasty and interposition with malleus head autograft was performed. On average 11 years after the tympanoplasty, an otomicroscopy and a tonal audiogram were done to assess anatomic and functional results.ResultsAnatomic results of 56 ears: 40 (71.43%) tympanic membranes have no anatomic irregularities; 14 (25.00%) have cartilage resorption (11 of them minor and 3 major resorptions), 2 (3.57%) have secondary perforation. In the group of children all ears tympanic membrane were with no or minor resorption and no perforations.Functional results (51 audiograms performed: in children 12 and in adults 39): pre- and post-operative average pure tone average air-bone gaps were 27.29 ± 10.26 and 10.73 ± 7.90 dB, respectively.In the group of children pre- and post-operative average pure tone average air-bone gaps were 29.44 ± 10.30 and 6.81 ± 3.47 dB, respectively. In the group of adults pre- and post-operative pure tone average air-bone gaps were 26.63 ± 10.30 and 11.93 ± 8.50 dB, respectively. The differences between the two groups preoperatively (z = 0.733; p = 0.463) and postoperatively are irrelevant (z = 1.723; p = 0.085). The hearing gain is bigger in children (F = 4.788; p = 0.033).ConclusionThe full thickness cartilage palisade tympanoplasty with malleus autograft interposition is also nowadays a successful method in solving of an advanced ear pathology also in children.