Abstract

Background: In the quiet of a bustling town, where crowded homes offer little space for solitude, a common yet silent affliction persists-chronic otitis media. This condition, often unnoticed until it takes hold, causes a slow and steady loss of hearing, accompanied by the constant annoyance of ear discharge. While it affects a small percentage of the global population, its impact is most profound in areas where poverty, crowded living conditions, lack of awareness and poor healthcare make its presence more frequent. Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of chronic otitis media in its mucosal and squamous subtypes and complications associated with Chronic Otitis media Squamous type. Methods: This research followed a prospective, longitudinal, and analytical design involving 150 patients who exhibited symptoms of chronic otitis media. The study was conducted at the Otolaryngology Department outpatient clinic of Ahalia hospital, Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi UAE during the period from September 2017 to June 2021. Patients with prior surgical interventions or incomplete case histories were excluded from this study. Results: Out of the 150 cases examined, 90 (60%) were diagnosed with chronic otitis media-mucosal, while 60 (40%) had chronic otitis media-squamous. Both groups included patients under 40 years of age. Regarding the etiological factors, oil or water exposure was the predominant cause in chronic otitis media-mucosal (60%), whereas in chronic otitis media-squamous, the most common causes were recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (80.5%) and oil or water exposure (60%).it is important to mention here that, most patients had two or more contributing factors. Ear discharge was the most prevalent clinical feature in both groups, affecting 89% of chronic otitis media-mucosal cases and 72% of chronic otitis media-squamous cases. Complications were primarily observed in the chronic otitis media-squamous group, with mastoid abscess being the most frequent complication, occurring in 1% of cases. That was mainly due to good medical services and awareness in UAE. Conclusion: Younger individuals and those with limited access to health education experience higher rates of chronic otitis media. Therefore, it is necessary to disseminate health education on ear diseases, which can help lower the prevalence of the condition, particularly in developing countries.