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Review
. 2019 Dec 30:34:216.
doi: 10.11604/pamj.2019.34.216.19472. eCollection 2019.

Medial migration of the tympanostomy tube: what is the optimal management option?

Ilias Benchafai  1 , Mohamed Moumni  1 , Saloua Ouraini  1 , Noureddine Errami  1 , Bouchaib Hemmaoui  1 , Fouad Benariba  1
Affiliations
Review

Medial migration of the tympanostomy tube: what is the optimal management option?

Ilias Benchafai et al. Pan Afr Med J. .

Abstract

The tympanostomy tube insertion is the gold standard of treatment for secretory otitis media. Complications are associated with this surgery in 17% of cases. One of the rare but real complications is the medial migration of the tympanostomy tube. To our knowledge, this is the 14th case reported in childhood. Considering this rarity, there is no consensus for the management of this phenomenon. Some authors propose a surgical removal, while others prefer to observe whether the patient is asymptomatic. We reported a case of migration of the tympanostomy tube and described the detailed clinical features and management options. This case report and mini-review will broaden readers the knowledge of medial migration of the tympanostomy tube and may guide the relative treatment of this complication in the future.

Keywords: Medial migration; etiology; optimal treatment; tympanostomy tube.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Otoscopy showing a blue shadow of the grommet through the left ear drum
Figure 2
Figure 2
CT showing the presence of a tympanostomy tube in the left middle ear space
Figure 3
Figure 3
Per-operative view showing the presence of the tympanostomy tube in the middle ear cleft through a myringotomy incision
Figure 4
Figure 4
Per-operative view showing extraction of the tympanostomy tube
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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