Clinical landmarks in chronic otitis media with tympanosclerosis: clinical history may have predictive value in the diagnosis of ossicular chain mobility.

Objectives: To evaluate clinical characteristics of tympanosclerosis and to investigate the predictive value of clinical evaluation in diagnosing the ossicular chain status in tympanosclerosis.

Methods: The study included 166 ears operated on for chronic otitis media. Age, gender, duration of symptoms and history of ear drainage were recorded from the patient's file. Details of ossicular mobility were obtained from the operation records.

Results: There was no difference in age or disease duration between ears with chronic otitis media with or without tympanosclerosis. The ears with chronic otitis media without tympanosclerosis had a higher rate of middle-ear suppuration compared to those with tympanosclerosis (p < 0.001). In chronic otitis media with tympanosclerosis, the ears with a mobile ossicular chain had a higher rate of active drainage in their clinical history compared to ears with a fixed ossicular chain (p = 0.026). Stapes fixation was present mostly in dry ears with tympanosclerosis (p = 0.005).

Conclusion: Chronic otitis media with tympanosclerosis is characterised by the long-term absence of suppurations. The probability of having a fixed ossicular chain or stapes was higher in tympanosclerosis cases with no ear drainage.