Abstract:
Background:
Chronic otitis media (COM) is described as a highly prevalent disease of the
middle ear which constitutes a serious health problem worldwide, especially in
developing countries. This study was done to evaluate the role of the middle ear risk
index (MERI) on the outcome of surgeries for COM in the form of successful graft
uptake and improvement in hearing.
Methods:
A total of 52 patients of COM were included in this study. Detailed ENT
examination and preoperative pure tone audiometry were done in all patients. MERI
score was calculated and patients were stratified based on the MERI score. All
patients were evaluated at the end of 3 months postoperatively, for the status of graft
uptake and improvement in hearing.
Results:
The MERI was found to be a remarkable predictor of the outcome of surgeries
for COM. The patients with mild MERI scores had a significantly better prognosis
than patients with severe MERI scores.
Conclusions:
MERI is a very useful and honest predictor of the graft uptake and hearing
benefit in patients undergoing surgeries for COM. It has an inverse relation with graft
uptake and hearing benefit. Based on the MERI score, the likelihood of surgical
success and hearing benefit could be explained to the patient of COM to give them
realistic expectations.
