Abstract
Introduction Chronic otitis media (COM) is an otological challenge in the developing countries
as it is a persistent disease causing severe destruction of middle ear with irreversible
sequalae. To assess Middle Ear Risk Index (MERI) score and study its prognostic effect
in postoperative outcome following mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty. To evaluate MERI
score with respect to graft uptake and A-B gap closure.
Materials and Methods This prospective study comprised 25 patients suffering from COM who presented to
the Department of ENT, HSK Hospital, Bagalkot, over a period of 1 year from November
2020 to November 2021. The patients underwent tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy. MERI
2001 was used in the current study, and risk factors were assessed based on pre- and
intra-operative findings to obtain the MERI score. Patients were segregated into those
with mild (1–3), moderate (4–7), and severe (8–15) MERI. They were evaluated at 1
month follow-up visit.
Results and Conclusion The study reveals the degree to which MERI score can predict the extent of disease
and indicate outcome of surgery. In the present study, patients with lower MERI score
benefitted more favorably in terms of graft uptake and hearing improvement as compared
with success rate of severe MERI score. MERI index is in fact a very reliable predictor
of graft uptake and audiological alteration in patients undergoing tympanoplasty with
mastoidectomy surgeries for COM.
Keywords
chronic otitis media - middle ear risk index - mastoidectomy
