Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the presence and the degree of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in patients with chronic otitis media (COM) by evaluating changes in bone conduction audiograms. This report is based on a retrospective study of otitis media patients, including patients with cholesteatoma, who underwent surgery over the last 10 years. In our study, the bone conduction thresholds elevation in otitis media patients was more marked in the higher frequencies. The bone conduction thresholds elevation we have observed must therefore be the result of an inner ear disturbance. The bone conduction thresholds in COM were also found to become elevated with aging, especially at higher frequencies. By studying the differences in the bone conduction thresholds between normal and diseased ears, we were thus able to clearly demonstrate that this elevation in the thresholds correlated to both the length and severity of the illness as well as to different treatment modalities. The mechanism that affects the inner ear function in otitis media was not elucidated in our study, however, various bacterial toxins entering from the middle ear into the inner ear did appear to play an important role in the development of SNHL. Our results therefore suggest the importance of adequate and prompt treatment in preventing SNHL in COM.
