The contralateral ear in patients with chronic otitis media.

The status and hearing function of the contralateral ears in 493 patients undergoing surgery for chronic otitis media were studied at the final follow-up examination of the patients (on average, 6.5 years after the surgical treatment). In only 37% of the patients was the contralateral ear found to be normal, with atrophy of the pars tensa and tympanosclerosis being the most common abnormal findings, followed by pars tensa and attic retractions. In 18% of the patients, the contralateral ear had also undergone surgery. In only 64% of the patients, the contralateral ears had normal (< or = 20 dB) hearing levels, and in 21%, the hearing levels were > 30 dB, the hearing function of patients with cholesteatoma being worse than that of other patients with chronic otitis media. In 14 (3%) of the patients, even the better hearing ear had a hearing level of > 60 dB, including one patient with both ears totally deaf. To improve the functional outcome of patients with chronic otitis media, earlier and more effective treatment of middle ear infections is needed.