[Myringoplasty in children: a comparison with an adult population].

The indications for myringoplasty in children has always been a controversial subject since many authors feel the high frequency of the phlogistic auricular processes in children constitute an unfavorable prognostic factor to success of the procedure. The authors present the results obtained in 23 patients under 17 years of age who had undergone myringoplasty for simple perforation of the tympanum. In cases of posterior and inferior perforations, surgery was performed using the underlay technique and a transmeatal approach; in all other cases the overlay technique was used with a retroauricular approach. An average 30 month follow-up (range 12-55 months) revealed new perforations in only 2 cases (9%). From the functional point of view the average air/bone conduction gap was reduced to 10 dB. As a control, the results were compared to those obtained in 150 patients over 16 years of age, again affected by simple perforation of the tympanic membrane and treated by myringoplasty using the same methods. In the adults, 22 new perforations were found (15%) while the functional results were analogous to those obtained in the children group. In this light, it can be asserted that myringoplasty can be considered a safe procedure to be used in children and it does not appear essential to wait until they have finished growing before performing this procedure.