Background: The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of chronic tympanic membrane perforation in the adult population.
Materials and method: The study population included 1,000 subjects (453 males, 547 females) aged 18-93 years. In addition to interview data, ear examinations were performed.
Results: There were eight subjects with unilateral chronic tympanic membrane perforation and a single subject with a bilateral perforation. The age adjusted prevalence of chronic tympanic membrane perforation was 0.45% (95% confidence interval: 0.03-0.87). Eight out of nine subjects disliked tympanoplasty.
Conclusion: The high proportion of subjects with chronic tympanic membrane perforations who do not want to be operated suggests that there is a considerable need for novel therapeutic procedures.