Abstract
Since when barotrauma became a topics about 50 years ago, it has been learned that cavity organs, lined with mucous membrane and holding gas inside, in otological field also suffer various traumata. Especially, as the aeration dysfunction in a tympanic cavity impairs hearing loss, various researches by experts have been discussed. Recentry. however, diving equipment has been developed that diving has been easily practised. In scuba dining, the tympanic cavity is exposed to mach high atomospheric pressure than the case of barotrauma in an aeroplane, hence, the suffering rate of diving barotrauma becomes higher. During last 2 years, 133 patients, 82 males and 51 females, of barotrauma caused by scuba visited our clinic. 64 cases (48%) of 133 suffered hearing loss, among which 36 cases (56.3%) had conductive deafness, while 28 cases had sensorineural hearing loss (about 1/3, 8 cases (29%) were suspected of the window rupture, so the operation was done). Besides, 10 cases (7.5%) of sinus squeeze were observed. The 69 cases (52%) showed normal hearing, however, there were 36 cases in which the Eustachian tube opening function of either one of a right or a left ear showed dysfunction by our eustachian tube function tests (Sonotubometry test contrived by us and sonotubometric valsalva test) which were important when exposed to barometric pressure, or the impairment of the function was observed. As the results, generally, even a person of normal hearing, when he is exposed to extraordinary barometric pressure, there are some cases in which the aeration dysfunction of the tympanic cavity is caused, hence the cause and diagnosis of such impairment were discussed.
