[Otoendoscopy for the diagnosis of chronic middle ear diseases].

The objective of the present work was to evaluate potential of otoendoscopy for the diagnosis of chronic middle ear diseases. A total of 195 patients (274 ears) with this pathology were examined. The group included 87 men (114 ears) and 108 women (160 ears) aged from 16 to 72 (mean 43.5) years. All of them underwent rigid video-otoendoscopy. The proposed method is suitable for the use in outpatient clinics with the help of endoscopes 4.0 and 2.7 mm in diameter and an angle of vision 0 and 30 degrees respectively. Analysis of the results of the study was used to develop criteria for the evaluation of the endoscopic picture. The study allowed the agreement between the diagnoses established before and after otoendoscopic examination to be estimated and expressed in percentage terms. It is concluded that the above diagnostic algorithm of otoendoscopy permits to evaluate and systematize results of otoendoscopic examination and to make decision on the necessity of referring the patient for further treatment in a hospital.