[Evaluation of the level of hearing loss based on the results of tympanometry in children under 5 years of age with eustachian tube dysfunction].

Introduction: The paper describes the correlation between pathological tympanogram findings, and the degree and type of hearing loss. We have established a possibility of indirect evaluation of hearing loss based on tympanometric curve, in children aged five or less, with tympanometry established dysfunction of Eustachian tube. Statistical methods provided a degree of certainty based on which conclusions can be made on the degree of hearing loss.

Material And Methods: The research was done from 1986 to 1998 in an insulated chamber of the audiological laboratory of the General Hospital in Subotica. 100 children were tested, aged between 5 and 19.

Results: We have found that: type B tympanogram shows a statistically significant incidence in the examined group; patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction show a statistically significantly higher incidence of pathologic compared to normal audiogram, conductive hearing loss compared to other types of hearing loss, mild hearing loss compared to other types of hearing loss, horizontal audiogram form; based on performed tests, with a 95% expectancy, it can be concluded that 90% of patients whose Eustachian tube dysfunction is characterized by type B tympanogram simultaneously show (mild or medium) hearing loss, i.e. 70% of patients with type B tympanogram show a mild hearing loss, and 20% have a medium hearing loss.

Conclusion: It is well known that the degree of hearing loss does not depend on tympanogram, but the above the research and statistical methods used indirectly lead to a conclusion that in mild dysfunction of Eustachian tube characterized by type C tympanogram the conductive hearing reduction does not exceed 25 dB, while in cases with type B tympanogram we can expect a conductive hearing loss between 20 and 40 dB, and in 20% of cases a conductive hearing loss of 40-60 dB. The results of this research show that findings of tympanometric testing can be used as a basis for hearing evaluation in children below 5 years of age with a diagnosed Eustachian tube dysfunction.