Otologic Surgery in a Tropical Environment: About 56 Cases were Operated on at the Yaounde General Hospital-Cameroon

Authors: Andjock Nkouo YC*, Bola Siafa , Ngo Nyeki AR, Mindja Eko D, Mbazo'o M, Francois D, Raji A and Njock R

DOI: 10.23880/ooaj-16000252

Volume 7, Issue 2

Abstract

Introduction and Aims : Ear surgery is a separate entity in the surgical activity of ENT department. In ENT services in developed countries, this activity has become routine. Several data on the activity of otologic surgery in Western teams are available. This surgery is performed in our tropical environment, characterized by under-equipment and poor access to care. But few data from the sub-Saharan African series are reported. To contribute to the understanding of this entity, we conducted this study in the ENT service of the Yaounde General Hospital (YGH), Cameroon. The general objective was to study the practice of ear surgery in our setting. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, retrospective study. The study took place from June 2016 to June 2021, i.e. 5 years. The study was conducted in the ENT and Head and Neck Surgery service of the YGH. The sampling was consecutive. We included in this study all patients with an otological disease, treated surgically during the study period. Sociodemographic, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic, and evolutionary data were collected. Results: Our sample consisted of 56 operated patients, out of a total of 330 surgeries performed during the study period. This represents a frequency of 16.96%. The distribution of patients according to sex was 33 women and 23 men, i.e. a sex ratio of 0.69 in favor of women. The distribution of the patients in the sample according to age showed an average age of 36.98 years, with extremes ranging from 3 years to 92 years. 55 patients, i.e. 98.2%, were undergoing their first otological surgery, and only one patient had already undergone a previous operation. 49 patients (87.5%) had a symptomatology that had been evolving for more than three months. And 7 (12.5%) had acute or sub-acute symptoms. The main pathologies found and operated on were: open non cholesteatoma chronic otitis with 19 patients (33.92%), otomastoiditis with 9 cases (16.01%), cholesteatoma chronic otitis with 8 cases (14.28%), followed by other pathologies such as otoscléroses, osteomas of the external auditory canal, etc. with 7 cases (12.5%). The most common surgical procedure was tympanoplasty with 19 cases (33.9%), mastoidectomy with 9 cases (16.1%), petro-mastoidectomy with 8 cases (14.3%), extraction of foreign bodies from the auditory canal with 5 cases (8.9%) and cochlear implantation with 4 cases (7.1%). 4 patients, i.e. 7.2%, presented Otolaryngology Open Access Journal 2 Andjock Nkouo YC, et al. Otologic Surgery in a Tropical Environment: About 56 Cases were Operated on at the Yaounde General Hospital-Cameroon. Otolaryngol Open Access J 2022, 7(2): 000252. Copyright© Andjock Nkouo YC, et al. complications (4 infectious, 1 complaining of tinnitus). 55 patients, i.e. 98.2%, saw an improvement in their symptoms with a favorable evolution. Conclusion: The non-negligible frequency found in our practice at the YGH reflects the definite evolution of this surgery in our environement. The patients are young, chronic open otitis media without cholesteatoma are the main indication, and tympanoplasty is the most practiced surgical modality.

Keywords: Otological Surgery ; Tropical ; Yaounde

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