The developmental characteristics of mastoid pneumatisation in cleft palate children: the genetic influence.

Physiologic and developmental role of mastoid pneumatisation in children with otitis media with effusion (OME) is still controversial. For measuring mastoid pneumatisation and examine developmental characteristics, we used children with orofacial malformation of high risk for long term negative pressure in the middle ear and are expected to have lower rate of size and growth of pneumatisation. Mastoid were measured on Schuller's mastoid X-ray pictures planimetrically in study group of 146 children with bilateral (BCLP), unilateral (UCLP) and isolated (ICP) cleft palate, and control group of non-cleft 52 children, both groups with confirmed otitis media with effusion and no previous otological surgery. The lowest pneumatisation found in BCLE, BCLP and UCLP showed no growth of mastoid with age and lower mastoid size than OME controls. ICP is the only cleft type with growth of mastoid with aging. OME patients has the highest size of mastoid and growth rate with aging.