Influence of coexisting myringosclerosis on myringoplasty outcomes in children

To obtain information on the success rate of tympanoplasty with concomitant myringosclerosis. The medical records of 40 children with myringosclerosis (23 girls, 17 boys; age range six to 16 years, mean age 9.85 years) who had undergone primary tympanoplasty were retrospectively studied. Surgical success was defined as the perforation remaining closed 12 months post-operatively. Sclerotic plaques occupied whole remnant eardrums in 17 patients, and were located in various parts of the eardrum in 23. Tympanosclerosis associated with myringosclerosis was present in six patients. The success rate of primary tympanoplasty was 92.5 per cent. All three surgical failures were observed in girls with marginal perforations. These children underwent successful revision procedures for their residual perforations, variously at four, eight and 10 months after the initial surgery. Appropriate freshening of the perforation edges, with removal of sclerotic plaques, can result in a high rate of successful closure of perforated tympanic membrane with coexisting myringosclerosis.