Determinants of Cochlear Dysfunction in Chronic Otitis Media: Mucosal Disease

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Audiology
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• The association between chronic otitis media (COM)-mucosal disease and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) remains debated.
• Identifying risk factors for elevated bone conduction thresholds in COM patients is crucial for surgical counseling and optimal hearing outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between COM-mucosal disease and cochlear dysfunction.
• To identify determinants influencing bone conduction thresholds in affected ears.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 72 patients with unilateral COM-mucosal disease.
• Pure tone audiometry was performed, with patients categorized by hearing loss type (conductive only vs. with SNHL component).
• Multivariate linear regression analyzed bone conduction thresholds against COM-mucosal disease and other factors, using the contralateral ear as a control.

Main Results:

• 18.05% of participants exhibited an SNHL component.
• Diseased ears showed significantly higher bone conduction thresholds (5.41 dB at 0.5 kHz to 3.77 dB at 4 kHz, p < 0.001) compared to healthy ears.
• Increasing age was the sole significant factor linked to elevated bone conduction thresholds (p = 0.002), with higher frequencies more affected.

Conclusions:

• COM-mucosal disease is associated with elevated bone conduction thresholds, indicating cochlear dysfunction and inner ear vulnerability.
• Sensorineural hearing loss can manifest early in the disease progression.
• Early surgical intervention for COM-mucosal disease is advised to mitigate hearing loss progression.