Incidence of otitis media with effusion and long-term clinical findings in children with cleft lip and palate types.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the incidence of otitis media with effusion and to report long-term clinical findings in children with cleft lip and palate types. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between March 2000 - October 2010, medical data of 175 patients (84 females, 95 males; mean age 8 years; range, 4 to 20 years) who were operated due to otitis media with effusion with long-term follow-up data were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients had a complete cleft lip and palate. In the first examination, 134 patients had ear effusion, the eustachian tube were not patent in 146 patients, and middle ear pressure was measured as -200 and below in 121 patients. After the operations, the eardrums had ear effusion in 89 patients, in 93 patients middle ear pressure was lower than -200, and 11 patients had chronic otitis media in the final examination. CONCLUSION: Our study results suggested that there was a statistically significant relationship among the middle ear disease, function of eustachian tube, treatment outcomes, middle ear pressure, cleft palate type and bilaterality of the disease. We believe that it is of utmost importance as it may affect the treatment process and the patient follow-up in such patients.