Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical features of ear injuries from sports accidents. Sixty one patients with otologic trauma from 19 different kinds of sports had been experienced in past 20 years in our Clinic. Among the sports, diving, soccer and baseball were most common. Sex ratio of males to females was 3.3 to 1 and the male was dominant. The highest occurrence was noticed in the group aged 20-29 years. The incidence of ear injuries from sports was 7.0% of all ear injuries for 10 years from 1983 to 1992. Both the middle and inner ears were most frequently injured, and only 6.6% of all had lesions combined with head trauma. Tinnitus, hearing impairment and a perforation of the ear drum were most common and those were important for diagnosis of sports injuries in the ear. Forty cases of all were treated conservatively, 18 by surgery, but 3 of all had not any medical care. Most of general physicians and sports doctors usually do not pay any attention of ear trauma. Therefore, it should be necessary for ENT doctors to enlighten them about ear injuries from sports ccidents.
