Tuberculous Otitis Media-Review of the Cases-

Goh, Eui Kyung

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The incidence of tuberculosis has decreased over the last decades because of antituberculous chemotherapy and this was not an exception in Korea where the tuberculous disorder was once the major problem of public health until 1980. The clinical features of tuberculous otitis media (OM) have a tendency to be changed so that it is different from the description in the textbook. The reports about tuberculuos OM have been very rare until recently. The purpose of this study is to analysis cases of tuberculous OM for 13 years and to be helpful to apply the early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of other OM.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Author reviewed retrospectively 23 patients who underwent middle ear surgery from 1986 to 1998 at Pusan National University Hospital and were comfirmed Tuberculous OM pathologically.
RESULTS
The incidence of tuberculous OM was 0.61% of total 3801 cases of middle ear surgery and it was prevalent in age group below thirty. The local findings of tympanic membrane showed variable and multiple perforation was very rare. 56.5% of the cases showed findings suggesting bony destruction. AFB stain revealed no acid fast bacilli in all cases, but 61.6% showed mixed infection with other bacterial organisms. Mostly the tuberculous OM was primary tuberculosis (73.9%). The duration of antituberculous chemotherapy until dry-up state were within 5 months mostly.
CONCLUSION
The importance of tuberculous OM as a part of general increase in the incidence and the variable clinical findings were reviewed.