Relationship between pathologies of bone chain and middle ear mucosa in chronic otitis media

Objectives: Chronic otitis media is an inflammatory process which causes tympanic membrane perforation, destruction of middle ear structure and loss of hearing. Most effected structure in this process is hearing bones. In this study our aim was to find relation between chance in hearing bones and accompanying pathology in middle ear mucosa. Methods: One hundred sixty-five patients operated due to chronic otitis media between January 2001-December 2004. Bony changes are classified as normal, destructed and total loss. Middle ear changes classified as normal, with granulation tissue, with cholesteatoma and sclerotic. Results: Relation between malleus and incus bone destruction and middle ear mucosal pathologies is statistically significant while there is no relation with stapes bone. Conclusion: Incus is the most frequently damaged ossicle in chronic otitis media cases. The most frequent damage seen in malleus and incus is the damage of granulation tissue. The maximum damage in stapes appears in sclerosis.