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Is there any relation between coronary atherosclerosis and tympanosclerosis?
Dilek Ciçek1, Yusuf Vayisoğlu, Kemal Görür
1Department of Cardiology, Mersin University, Turkey. drdilekcicek@hotmail.com
Insights
This study found no significant link between tympanosclerosis, a middle ear condition, and the extent or severity of atherosclerosis in patients undergoing coronary angiography. Further research is needed to explore potential etiological mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory arterial disease.
- Tympanosclerosis involves middle ear tissue calcification, with debated causes.
- Previous studies suggested a potential link between atherosclerosis and tympanosclerosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between tympanosclerosis and atherosclerosis.
- To analyze coronary artery disease severity in patients with and without tympanosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 203 patients undergoing coronary angiography.
- Otoscopic examinations were performed to identify tympanosclerosis.
- Coronary artery stenosis and extent scores were calculated from angiograms.
Main Results:
- Tympanosclerosis was present in 6.9% of patients.
- No significant differences in atherosclerotic risk factors were observed between groups.
- No statistically significant association was found between tympanosclerosis and coronary artery atherosclerosis extent or severity.
Conclusions:
- This study did not find an association between tympanosclerosis and the angiographic severity of atherosclerosis.
- Further research is required to elucidate the etiological mechanisms and clarify any potential association.
Objective:
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of medium and large-sized arteries. Tympanosclerosis is the hyalinization and calcification of the connective tissue in the middle ear, including the tympanic membrane. The etiology and pathogenesis of tympanosclerosis are still controversial. There are some reports about the possible relationship between development of tympanosclerosis and atherosclerosis. Therefore, we aimed a cross-sectional study to investigate relationship between tympanosclerosis and atherosclerosis in patients referred for coronary angiography.
Methods:
The study population consisted of 203 consecutive patients (145 men, mean age 59+/-11 years) who underwent coronary angiography. Otoscopic examination was performed in all patients. All angiographies were examined to calculate coronary artery vessel stenosis and extent scores. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the angiographic scores with existence of tympanosclerosis.
Results:
Among the 203 patients, 35 (17%) patients had angiographically normal coronary arteries without any atheroma plaque and 168 (83%) had coronary atherosclerosis. In the otoscopic examination, tympanosclerosis was found in 14 patients (6.9%). No significant differences in distribution of clinical atherosclerotic risk factors (age, gender, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking and cholesterol levels) were found between groups with and without tympanosclerosis. Tympanosclerosis was found in 4 patients with normal coronary arteries (11.4%). In the group of coronary atherosclerosis, 10 patients have tympanosclerosis (5.9%). In addition, there was no statistically significant association of coronary artery vessel, stenosis or extent scores of atherosclerosis with tympanosclerosis (p>0.05).
Conclusions:
We could not find any association between tympanosclerosis and angiographic extent and severity of atherosclerosis, contrary to other studies. More studies are needed to understand etiological mechanisms and association between them.
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