Codetection of serous otitis media and severe sensorineural hearing impairment in children—the management dilemma

SummaryFew cases of otitis media with effusion (OME) coexisting with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss have been reported in medical literature, and beyond stressing need for awareness for early clinical detection, there is no stated guideline as to the management approach to such patients. The clinician is often in dilemma as to benefit or otherwise of myringotomy and ventilation tube placement in such patients. We present two cases of such children attending our hearing loss clinic that both had clinical, tympanometric, and operative finding of OME. Both had bilateral myringotomy and ventilation tube placement, but showed very little improvement in hearing or speech conditions.