Background & Objective: Chronic otitis media infection exists among 1.5-2 percent of people and its purulent discharges can create some difficulties for the patients. Chronic otitis media is mainly due to pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococcus aurous. Severe and irreversible damages should be expected unless follow up treatments are exactly performed in such patients. This study was conducted to determine the most prevalent microorganisms involved in otitis infection and their sensitivity to antibiotics.

 Methods: This is a descriptive study in which 60 patients who referred to nose and throat clinics of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences (2000-2001) were selected. Using applicator, some samples were taken from suppurative discharges of middle ear. These samples were then cultured in lactose broth and Nutrient broth. In order to isolate pathogenic microorganism, samples were also cultured in blood agar. Sensitivity of isolated pathogenic microorganism was determined against some antibiotics. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS software.

 Results: 56 out of 60 patients were culture positive. Microorganisms isolated from suppurative otitis media were Staphylococcus areus (31.6%), pseudomonas aeuroginosa (26.6%), proteus (20%), candida albicans (6.4%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (4.6%), aeuromonas (1.6%) and others (6.4%) respectively. Sensitivity of microorganisms to antibiotics was found to be Ciprofloxacin (94.6%), Co-trimoxazole (66.3%), Cloxacilin (64.3%), Chloramphenicol (64.3%),Cephalexin (64.3%), Erythromycin (60.7%), Amikacin (44.6%), Streptomycin (39.3%), Penicillin (5.4%) respectively.

 Conclusions: Since staphylococcus areus was�the most prevalent micro-organism in otitis media infection, and isolated microorganisms were more sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, antibiogram test is necessary prior to the treatment of otitis media.

  Background & Objectives: Hearing is perhaps the most important sense in human beings without which communication with the environment would greatly diminish. Chronic perforation of tympanic membrane, ossicular erosion and tympanosclerosis are major causes of hearing diorders. Nevertheless, a conducting hearing loss is the commonest complication of chronic otitis media. Cholesteatoma which is the most dangerous complication of chronic otitis media is treated by surgery. Tympanosclerosis is also one of the most important complications of chronic otitis media, which leads to conductive hearing loss through ossicular fixation. This study is an attempt to determine the effect of different kinds of chronic otitis media on the hearing of the patients.

  Methods: In this survey, 440 patients with chronic otitis media, who were surgically treated in the department of otolaryngology between 1998-1999, were studied in terms of various pathology of middle ear and the resultant level of hearing impairment.

  Results: 37 patients (8.4%) were involved bilaterally with otitis media. The number of operations on the left ear was 10% more than those on the right. The most common pathology recognized in examination was nonprulant perforation of tympanic membrane in 179 cases (40.7%) and the most common pathology recognized in surgery was cholesteatoma in 140 cases (30.2%). From 440 patients, 430 cases had conductive hearing loss and 92 cases (20.9%) had sensorineural hearing loss. Cholesteatoma of middle ear caused the highest proportion of conductive hearing loss and majority of the cases with sensorineural hearing loss (about 30%) whereas tympanosclerosis caused the most severe sensorineural hearing losses.

  Conclusion: The findings indicated that cholesteatoma and tympanosclerosis were the most common causes of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss with tympanosclerosis as the cause of the most severe sensorineural hearing loss. However granulation tissue is the most common histopathology in patients with chronic otitis media at references and papers.

  Background & Objectives: Acute otitis media is the second most common disease of childhood. With inappropriate treatment, it can progress to chronic otitis media which requires surgical intervention. Surgical treatment of chronic otitis media is based on the following two principles: complete removal of pathologic tissues and improvement of hearing level. Trauma to the inner ear cochlea (caused by suctioning, surgical drill and ossicular manipulation at the time of surgery) may cause sensorineural hearing loss. Even slight additional hearing loss can profoundly affect these patients. The objective of this study is to assess sensorineural hearing loss following surgery for chronic otitis media.

  Method s : This is a comparative, analytic and cross-sectional study performed on 100 patients admitted to ENT ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tabriz between 2000 and 2002. The data were analyzed after being collected using pre and postoperative audiograms.

  Results: By comparing pre and postoperative audiograms, postoperative sensorineural hearing loss was found in 6 patients (6%) 5 of whom were female. The highest complication rate was seen following tympanoplasty with ossicular reconstruction. No cases of sensorineural hearing loss was found following radical and modified mastoidectomy.

  Conclusion: Any type of surgical procedures in the middle ear has the potential risk for acoustic trauma and consequent hearing loss. Because middle ear surgery is performed to improve the ear function, more attention should be paid to this risk. In our study ossicular manipulation played a major role in causing sensorineural hearing loss as a postoperative complication.