[Analysis of middle ear cavity gas composition by mass spectrometry].

Gas compositions in the middle ear cavities of patients with a perforated tympanic membrane, and in normal subjects, were analyzed by mass spectrometry. The results showed that the gas in normal subjects consisted of nitrogen (83.7%), oxygen (9.2%) and carbon dioxide (6.2%). (The volume concentration of the various gases was expressed as a percentage of 713 mm Hg.) Thus, the concentrations of the various gases in the middle ear cavity differed greatly from those in the atmosphere. The low concentration of oxygen is suitable for microaerophilic bacteria and acts as a physiological barrier against bacterial infection. It was also found that the gas in patients with exudative otitis media consisted of nitrogen (77.9%), oxygen (15.6%) and carbon dioxide (5.5%), and in patients with chronic perforated otitis media, of nitrogen (77.8%), oxygen (16.9%) and carbon dioxide (4.4%). The concentration of oxygen in the middle ear cavity with perforated tympanic membrane is higher than that in the normal state because of diffusion of atmospheric gas into the middle ear cavity. In other words, perforation of the tympanic membrane exposes the middle ear cavity to a nonphysiological gaseous condition. The diffusion of atmospheric gas was simulated using small cylinders. Simulated results revealed that the atmospheric gas diffused rapidly. The change in the gas concentration during diffusion was approximated by an exponential function and a constant, and reproduced by a mathematical model. The change in the gas concentration in the middle ear cavity was usually approximated by two exponential functions and a constant. The constant represents the estimated final value of the gas concentration from which the effect of the diffusion is excluded. The final values were estimated for normal subjects and patients with perforated tympanic membrane. The final values in the normal subjects were almost equal to the measured values. The final value of carbon dioxide in the patients was greater than the measured value and nearly equal to the final value in the normal subjects. The final oxygen value in the patients was smaller than the measured value, but still greater than the final value in the normal subjects. The high oxygen concentration in the patients suggests enhanced oxygen metabolism.