The authors’ objective was to point out the relation of cleft defects to the origin of chronic otitis and associated hearing disorders. Cleft palate causes defects in the function of Eustachian tube and consequently the origin of secretory otitis which results in various forms of chronic otitis from adhesive-retraction processes to cholesteatoma. The study processed the data of 120 patients examined at the Otorhinolaryngological Clinic in Prague (FNKV) in the years 2005-2006. The patients were older than 5 years and the selection was based on their ability to undergo audiometric examination. Secretory otitis was demonstrated in case history of 63% of these patients, and in 81.6% of them the tympanostomy tube was inserted. In almost 30% of the patients a chronic form of residuum after otitis was demonstrated as well as a retraction pocket and half of these patients were subsequently subjected to surgery. Cholesteatoma was established in 7.47%.

        Key words: cleft palate defect, otitis media with effusion, adhesive-retraction processes, chronic otitis with cholesteatoma, tympanostomy, tympanoplasty