Screening tympanometry in infants and two-year-old children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Audiology
• Otolaryngology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Tympanometry is a key audiological test assessing middle ear function.
• Understanding tympanogram type stability is crucial for accurate diagnosis and prognosis in infants and young children.
• Previous research indicates potential variability, but longitudinal data in early childhood is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the stability of tympanogram types in infants and toddlers.
• To determine the frequency of tympanogram type alterations over time.
• To assess the prognostic value of screening tympanometry in this age group.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal tympanometric screening was conducted on 150 newborns up to one year of age, with measurements every three months.
• Repetitive tympanometric screenings were performed on 222 two-year-old children across four different seasons (November, February, May, August).
• Alterations in tympanogram types (Type A, C1, C2, B) were analyzed to assess stability.

Main Results:

• A very low stability of tympanogram types was observed, with approximately 50% of ears changing type between investigations.
• Type A tympanograms exhibited the highest stability, with 52% of ears changing type.
• High rates of change were noted for other types: 100% for Type C1, 97% for Type C2, and 84% for Type B (flat curve) at least once during the evaluations.

Conclusions:

• The tympanogram types in young children demonstrate significant instability over time.
• Common upper respiratory infections (catarrhalia) are a primary driver of tympanometric variability.
• The high degree of variability significantly diminishes the prognostic value of screening tympanometry in early childhood.