High Frequency Tympanometry in Early Infancy and Its Effect on Oto Acoustic Emissions
Arjun Suresh1, Mubeena Basheer1, Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam1
1Dept. of Otorhinolaryngology, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore, India.
Insights
High frequency tympanometry (HFT) effectively detects middle ear issues in infants. This method aids in understanding how middle ear diseases impact absent otoacoustic emissions (OAE) in newborns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Neonatal Screening
- Otoacoustic Emissions
Background:
- Middle ear pathologies can affect hearing in infants.
- Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are crucial for newborn hearing screening.
- Early detection of middle ear diseases is vital for infant auditory health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of high frequency tympanometry (HFT) in identifying middle ear pathologies in infants.
- To determine the relationship between middle ear diseases and absent otoacoustic emissions (OAE).
- To assess the diagnostic performance of HFT in neonates.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 123 healthy neonates under 1 month old.
- Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) followed by high frequency tympanometry (HFT) with a 1000 Hz probe tone.
- Analysis of tympanometric parameters including peak pressure, ear canal volume, and compliance.
Main Results:
- High frequency tympanometry demonstrated a sensitivity of 77.3% and specificity of 79.2% in detecting middle ear pathologies associated with OAE results.
- Out of 44 ears with refer OAE, 34 showed abnormal tympanograms.
- 160 out of 202 ears with present OAE had normal tympanometric peaks.
Conclusions:
- High frequency tympanometry is a valuable tool for the early detection of middle ear pathologies in infants.
- HFT assists in understanding the impact of middle ear conditions on otoacoustic emission results.
- This technique enhances the accuracy of newborn hearing screening programs.
Abstract:
The present study was conducted to study the benefit of high frequency tympanometry (HFT) in detecting middle ear pathologies in infants. This study also aims to find the effect of middle ear diseases on absent otoacoustic emissions (OAE). Our study was a prospective study which included 123 healthy neonates below 1 month of age. The babies were referred for the new born hearing screening programme. They were subjected to DPOAE followed by tympanometry with a 1000z probe tone (HFT). The study was approved by the institutions ethical committee. "Present" OAE result was obtained for 202 ears, while "absent" OAE result was obtained for 44 ears. High frequency tympanometry was also performed on all the participants, where a normal tympanogram was obtained in 170 ears and 76 ears showed an abnormal tympanogram. The following parameters were studied: peak pressure, ear canal volume and compliance. Descriptive statistics were obtained for the same. Association of OAE with HFT was studied. Out of the 44 ears with refer OAE, 34 ears had an abnormal tympanogram and among 202 ears with a present OAE, 160 ears had a normal tympanometric peak indicating a sensitivity and specificity of 77.3% and 79.2% respectively. High frequency tympanometry not only helps in early detection of middle ear pathologies but also to find the effect of middle ear diseases on absent otoacoustic emissions.
