Audiological status of chinese patients with cleft lip/palate

Objective: To review the audiological and otoscopic status of Chinese children and young adults seen at a cleft lip and palate clinic in Hong Kong and compare with previous studies of Western clinical populations. Design: The hearing health status of the patients was analyzed on the basis of the results of their otoscopic, pure tone audiometric, and tympanometric examinations. The patients' sex, age, race, and type of cleft pathology were examined for their potential relationship to hearing health status. Participants: The records of 180 predominantly Chinese patients attending the Cleft Lip and Palate Centre, Prince Philip Dental Hospital/University of Hong Kong from July 1977 to December 1999 were reviewed. Results and Conclusion: The results indicated 13.4% of patient ears failed the audiometric screening and 23.7% of patient ears yielded abnormal tympanometric results. Patients' sex, age, and type of cleft pathology were found not to be related to hearing screening results. The prevalence of hearing disorder was in contrast with Western studies that show a much higher rate of audiological problems in children and young adults with cleft lip/palate. Racial factors were considered to be possible reasons for this disparity. Other factors, such as timely medical and surgical intervention, including early cleft palate repair and the insertion of ventilation tubes in cases of middle ear effusion, do not convincingly account for the study findings.