Because only limited information is available on the incidence, prevalence, and population patterns of clinical otosclerosis, a study was made of these aspects of clinical otosclerosis in the Rochester, Minn, population for the period 1950 through 1969. During this period, 110 cases of clinical otosclerosis were diagnosed. The overall incidence was 13.7 per 100,000.
Important findings included the following: The rate for women was higher than that for men. The disease was diagnosed most frequently in the 30- to 49-year-old group in both sexes. It was not diagnosed in children under the age of 10 years. There was a significant increase in the rate of diagnosed cases in the period 1960 to 1969, inclusive, as compared to that of the period 1950 to 1959.