Preoperative bone-conducted electrocochleography in otosclerosis

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Audiology
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Otosclerosis is a common cause of conductive hearing loss.
• Accurate preoperative assessment of cochlear function is crucial for surgical planning in otosclerosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of bone-conducted electrocochleography (BC ECOG) in assessing cochlear function in otosclerosis patients.
• To compare the predictive value of BC ECOG with conventional pure-tone bone-conduction (BC) audiometry.

Main Methods:

• BC ECOG was performed using short tone bursts delivered via a bone conductor on the mastoid.
• Thresholds from BC ECOG were compared to conventional psychoacoustic BC thresholds using regression analysis.
• Predictability of postoperative hearing thresholds was assessed for both methods.

Main Results:

• BC ECOG thresholds demonstrated a strong correlation with preoperative pure-tone BC thresholds.
• No significant difference was found in the predictability of postoperative hearing between BC ECOG and conventional BC audiometry.
• BC ECOG provided a monaural, objective estimation of cochlear function.

Conclusions:

• BC ECOG is a valuable tool for preoperative hearing evaluation in otosclerosis.
• BC ECOG serves as a reliable complement to conventional audiometry, offering objective cochlear function assessment.
• The findings support the use of BC ECOG for improved surgical planning and patient outcomes in otosclerosis.