Abstract
School studies on changes of the tympanic membranes in children revealed a high incidence of abnormal findings in preschool children and a decreasing incidence of such abnormalities with the increase in age.
A majority of preschool children showed abnormal findings of the tympanic membrane; retraction of the pars tensa, retraction of pars flaccida, redness, and clouding in the decreasing order.
At ages 16 and 17, there was an increase in the incidence of retraction of the pars flaccida.
Abnormal tympanograms were most frequent at age five and its incidence decreased with the increase in age.
It was observed that the results of tymapnograms matched the findings of the tympanic membrane in an increasing number of cases as the children grew older.
A certain parallel was seen between the frequency of abnormal findings of the tympanic membrane and that of the abnormal rhinological findings.
