Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Solingen Municipal Hospital, Solingen.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ruhr-University Bochum, Saint Elisabeth Hospital, Bochum.
Otol Neurotol. 2019 Sep;40(8):1076-1081. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000002309.
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of a hearing aid (HA) and the occurrence of various disorders of the external ear, using data from ear, nose, and throat (ENT) practices in Germany from a nationwide, representative practice database.
In the period between 2012 and 2016, the incidences of disorders of the external ear (ICD-10 groups H60 and H61) in patients with HA prescriptions were compared retrospectively with a control group without HA prescriptions (1:1 matching).
A total of 20,127 patients with HA prescriptions were compared with 20,127 controls. The highest 12-month incidences (HA vs. controls) were determined for "Impacted cerumen" (H61.2) (16.5% vs. 4.2%), "Unspecified otitis externa" (H60.9) (2.6% vs. 1.2%) and 'Acute noninfective otitis externa' (H60.5) (2.3% vs. 0.7%). The most significant risk increases for HA wearers were found for "Abscess of external ear' (H60.0, OR 10.03), "Other otitis externa' (H60.8, OR 6.00), and "Impacted cerumen' (H61.2, OR 4.55). A smaller risk increase was found for "Cholesteatoma of external ear' (H60.4, OR 2.26), among others.
In HA wearers, the risk of developing almost all of the diagnoses reviewed is significantly increased, especially for external auditory canal (EAC) furuncle, chronic otitis externa, and impacted cerumen. This study provides the first epidemiological evidence for HA as a risk factor for the rare EAC cholesteatoma.
本研究旨在利用德国全国代表性的耳鼻喉科（ENT）实践数据库中的数据，调查助听器（HA）的存在与外耳各种疾病的发生之间的关系。
在 2012 年至 2016 年期间，回顾性比较了有 HA 处方的患者（1：1 匹配）与无 HA 处方的对照组中出现外耳疾病（ICD-10 组 H60 和 H61）的发病率。
共比较了 20127 例有 HA 处方的患者和 20127 例对照者。确定了最高的 12 个月发病率（HA 与对照组）：“耵聍栓塞”（H61.2）（16.5%比 4.2%）、“未特指的外耳炎”（H60.9）（2.6%比 1.2%）和“急性非传染性外耳炎”（H60.5）（2.3%比 0.7%）。佩戴 HA 的患者的风险增加最显著的是“外耳脓肿”（H60.0，OR 10.03）、“其他外耳炎”（H60.8，OR 6.00）和“耵聍栓塞”（H61.2，OR 4.55）。其他风险增加的疾病还有“外耳胆脂瘤”（H60.4，OR 2.26）等。
在佩戴 HA 的患者中，几乎所有被审查的诊断的发病风险显著增加，尤其是外耳（EAC）疖、慢性外耳炎和耵聍栓塞。本研究首次提供了 HA 是罕见的 EAC 胆脂瘤的危险因素的流行病学证据。
