Association of abnormal appearance of tympanic membrane with minimal temporal bone pneumatization. A cadaver study.

The association of abnormal tympanic membrane appearance with minimal pneumatization of the temporal bone was studied in 28 unilateral formalin-fixed cadaver specimens. The photographic appearance of each tympanic membrane was judged by seven otolaryngologists, and a normalcy score determined. The normalcy score of the tympanic membranes had a weak association (tau = 0.27, p less than 0.05) with pneumatization volume, as determined by computed tomography. The same trend, though not statistically significant, was found with pneumatization area determined by lateral radiographs. For cross-sectional surveys, the otitis media condition is probably best identified by a combination of indicators: bilateral extent of pneumatization as assessed by computed tomography, bilateral appearance of the tympanic membranes, and a history of otitis media.