Tympanostomy Tube Placement and Vestibular Function in Children

Objective. To determine the effect of bilateral myringotomy with tube placement (BMT) on balance in children 4 to 7 years old.

Study Design. Case-control study.

Setting. Tertiary-care academic hospital.

Subjects and Methods. Children with otitis media with effusion (OME) who were scheduled for BMT underwent rotational chair testing (RCT) and computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Control children without a significant history of middle ear disease were tested at the same intervals. Analysis of covariance was performed to evaluate the effect of BMT on RCT and CDP outcomes with age as a covariate.

Results. Seventy-two cases and 56 controls were enrolled. Mean (SD) age was 69 (12) months for cases and 72 (15) months for controls. No difference was seen between groups on RCT outcomes or sensory organization test (SOT) scores. Higher sway velocity during CDP was observed in the OME group both preoperatively and 1 month postoperatively. This difference was not statistically significant. There was no difference between groups 3 months postoperatively. At 6 months, the BMT group had a statistically significant decrease in sway velocity compared with the control group.

Conclusion. No difference was observed between children with OME and controls in RCT or SOT scores. Gradual improvement in sway velocity was observed after BMT. At the final time point, the groups did significantly differ in speed of sway, although the preoperative baseline difference failed to reach statistical significance. The authors suggest that physicians continue to inquire about balance development in patients with OME.