Hearing acuity in otitis media with effusion and adhesive otitis media

The relationship between findings established by the photograph of the tympanic membrane and hypacusia was determined by pure-tone audiometry. Subjects were 352 ears of 267 patients diagnosed as otitis media with effusion (OME) or adhesive otitis media (AdOM). These two diseases were evaluated on the basis of photographs of the tympanic membrane taken from 1983 to 1988. The results were as follows; 1) The effect of aging process on hearing acuity was noted in patients with these diseases, i.e., values of hearing acuity by air and bone conduction were, in descending order, early-, mature-, and advanced-age groups, with significant differences (p less than 0.01). 2) Greater loss of acuity by air conduction in the middle to high frequency ranges was found in patients with OME than with AdOM. In bone conduction, a decrease in low frequency range in the early--and mature--age groups was larger in patients with AdOM than with OME and a significant decrease in 2000-6000 Hz in the advanced-age group was more marked in patients with OME than with AdOM (p less than 0.05). 3) Among patients with AdOM, those with retained fluid in the middle ear showed a significant decrease in air conduction values and a significant increase in air-bone gap compared with those without fluid (p less than 0.05). 4) The degrees of adhesion correlated well with a decrease in hearing acuity. 5) Hearing acuity was not influenced by attic retraction, white plaque, scar and atrophy of their tympanic membranes.