Multi-frequency tympanometry: clinical applications for the assessment of the middle ear status

The aim of the present paper was to review the current knowledge on multi-frequency tympanometry and explore its role as a diagnostic tool in various otologic conditions. Literature review in Medline and other database sources. Prospective controlled, prospective comparative, and prospective cohort studies, animal studies, retrospective studies and systematic reviews. Multi-frequency tympanometry provides more accurate and detailed information about the middle ear dynamics than standard tympanometry. Otosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis characteristically increase the resonant frequency (RF) of the middle ear. Ossicular chain discontinuity, atelectatic tympanic membrane, and otitis media with effusion typically decrease the RF of the middle ear. Multifrequency tympanometry can also assess the stage of rheumatoid arthritis in the presence of middle ear involvement. The RF can be affected by the mechanical impedance of the cochlea, and multi-frequency tympanometry can be helpful in the diagnostic workup of LVAS. Multi-frequency tympanometry can be a useful tool to predict the diagnosis of various middle ear pathologies preoperatively, due to the ensuing changes in the RF of the mechano-acoustic system of the middle ear, which can be accurately determined when this methodology is applied.