BONE-CONDUCTION IMPAIRMENT IN UNCOMPLICATED CHRONIC SUPPURATIVE OTITIS-MEDIA

Purpose: To study the effect of uncomplicated chronic suppurative otit is media on bone conduction thresholds and its relationship to the dis ease type and duration. Patients and Methods: The differences in bone conduction thresholds of diseased and contralateral ears were compared in 218 patients with unilateral uncomplicated chronic suppurative oti tis media. Pure tone audiometry was carried out after successful surge ry on 93 patients. Results: The study showed bone conduction threshold elevations ranging in frequency from 9.2 to 14.1 dB in the diseased e ars. Approximately 39% of the patients had an average difference of mo re than 10 dB for bone conduction, and 12% had an average difference o f 20 dB or more. Significant relationships were found between threshol d elevation and the disease type and its duration. Postoperative audio grams showed no significant improvement in the bone conduction thresho lds in most of the tested patients. Conclusion: This study suggests th at chronic otitis media may result in clinically significant bone cond uction threshold elevations that should be considered when managing un complicated chronic suppurative otitis media. Copyright (C) 1998 by W. B. Saunders Company.