Predictors for sensorineural hearing loss in patients with tubotympanic otitis, cholesteatoma, and tympanic membrane retractions.

OBJECTIVE

To determine predicting value of otitis type, age, gender, ear suppuration, disease duration, mucosal changes, cholesteatoma spreading, labyrinthine fistula, size, localization of tympanic membrane perforation, type and stage of its retraction and ossicular chain disruption with sensorineural hearing loss in patients with tubotympanic otitis, cholesteatoma, and tympanic membrane retractions.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective case review study.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS

Approximately 264 adult patients with unilateral chronic ear disease, 60 adult patients with tympanic membrane retractions, 78 with cholesteatoma, and 126 with tubotympanic otitis.

INTERVENTIONS

Otomicroscopy, pure tone audiometry, impedancemetry were carried out preoperatively. Wall up, wall down tympanoplasty, or two-stage surgery was applied depending on pathology.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Bone conduction thresholds for 512 to 4,096 Hz.

RESULTS

Mean values of bone conduction thresholds for frequencies 512 to 4,096 Hz were significantly higher in otitis groups than in healthy ears (p = 0.000), without differences between the groups. Ossicular disruption correlated with sensorineural hearing loss in cholesteatoma and tubotympanic otitis for all frequencies; long incus process destruction in tubotympanic ears showed strong negative correlation with sensorineural hearing loss for 512 to 2,048 Hz (linear regression coefficient, intercept was -2.84, -2.48, and -2.41; p = 0.0024, 0.0207, and 0.0076, respectively). Perforation size correlated with sensorineural hearing loss for 512 to 2,048 Hz in tubotympanic otitis (Log regression p = 0.0008, 0.0252, and 0.0267; odds ratio, 1.13, 1.11, and 1.06). Atelectasis correlated with sensorineural hearing loss for 4,096 Hz (p = 0.022).

CONCLUSION

Predictors for sensorineural hearing loss in chronic otitis are otitis itself, age, ossicular disruption, especially of long incus process, extensive labyrinthine fistula, perforation size, and type of retraction.