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THE NATURAL HISTORY OF CHRONIC MIDDLE EAR DISEASE IN AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS: A CROSS‐SECTIONAL STUDY
Author(s) -
Dugdale A. E.,
Canty A.,
Lewis A. N.,
Lovell S.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1978.tb142324.x
Subject(s) - natural history , medicine , hearing loss , cross sectional study , middle ear , audiology , otitis , ear disease , disease , pediatrics , surgery , pathology
One hundred and sixty‐three Australian Aboriginals, who were aged from four months to 60 years, were examined clinically and otologically. Audiometric tests were completed on 110 of these subjects. On the assumptions that the aural health of these people has remained stable for many years, the cross‐sectional data which were obtained have been used to infer the natural history of ear disease. Seromucinous otitis media is manifest as a disease of early childhood, which recovers spontaneously in most cases and has no obvious sequelae. Perforated tympanic membranes likewise seem to heal spontaneously in the majority of cases. The evidence suggests that hearing loss is the main problem and treatment should be directed towards the level of hearing loss and its effects.