BACKGROUND The safety and advantages of CO(2) laser myringotomy for otitis media with effusion (OME) are well described. The goal of such treatment is to avoid unnecessary ventilation tube insertion. Comparisons between different age groups treated with this modality are lacking, and prognostic factors for treatment outcomes are not available. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study...

Most acute tympanic membrane perforations heal spontaneously without any residual complication, whereas a fraction transforms into a chronic perforation. The current treatment of a chronic perforation is surgical repair, which is a costly, time consuming and uncomfortable procedure particularly for the pediatric patients. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the underlying mechanisms of ...

Background and objective: The eustachian tube (pharyngotympanic tube) connects the middle ear cavity to the nasopharynx, and its dysfunction leads to the accumulation of fluids in the middle ear and hearing loss. In such cases, irresponsiveness to pharmaceutical treatments urges myringotomy combined with ventilation tube insertion. Given the importance of the operation outcomes, the present stu...