ABSTRACT
Abnormalities of the eardrum are common and often present at the time of, or subsequent to, an ear infection. A perforation in the eardrum presenting acutely after trauma or an infection will undergo spontaneous repair in up to 80% of cases. Tympanic membrane (TM) perforations occur most commonly following trauma or an ear infection. A retraction pocket may in advanced cases lead to the formation of a cholesteatoma. It is also thought that infection in a retraction pocket can then lead to a perforation of the TM. A retraction pocket can form due to Eustachian tube dysfunction or repeated bouts of inflammation. Retraction pockets once attached to the ossicular chain can cause some erosion of the chain. The symptoms associated with both retraction pockets and perforations are predominantly hearing loss and recurrent infections. Treatment for both retraction pockets and TM perforations is either conservative management or surgical intervention.
