Nasal Pathologies Encountered in Patients With Chronic Otitis Media

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: Nasal pathologies encountered in patients with chronic otitis media were examined in the current study. Material and Methods: One hundred and fifty patients (87 females, 63 males; mean age 35.6 years; range 7-78 years) diagnosed with chronic otitis media between January 2007 and July 2007 and one hundred healthy controls (57 females, 43 males; mean age 43.9 years; range 7-85 years) were examined. The nasal pathologies in the two groups were examined. The data were analyzed using SPSS package program. Results: Nasal septal deviation was encountered in seventy-three (48.7%) patients with chronic otitis media, and in twenty-eight (28%) patients in the control group. The presence of inferior turbinate hypertrophy and paradoxical middle turbinate, and findings in Waters view radiographs of the patients with chronic otitis media and control subjects were also evaluated. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the frequency of nasal pathologies. Conclusion: In our study, the significantly higher prevalence of septal deviation observed in pa- tients with chronic otitis media compared to control group, suggests that nasal pathologies might play a role in the etiopathogenesis of chronic otitis media. We therefore postulate that treatment of such pathologies should not to be delayed considering that the condition is easy to diagnose on physical examination and accompanying septal deviation in patients with chronic otitis media should be treated before performing an ear surgery.