Long-term middle ear pressure measurements in inner ear disorders.

Conclusion: Repetitive portable tympanometry is a feasible method to examine long-term middle ear pressure profile. This method might be suitable for detecting patients with Meniere's disease whose middle ear pressure shows intermittently pathological values.

Objectives: Contradictory study results regarding middle ear pressure in patients with Meniere's disease might be due to solitary tympanometric measurements. Pathological pressure conditions in patients with pressure regulation disorders might be missed by a single examination. The aim of the study was to examine the pressure profile of patients with Meniere's disease by long-term measurements.

Methods: Patients with Meniere's disease (n = 33), patients with sudden hearing loss (n = 20), and healthy subjects (n = 30) were examined. Patients carried out long-term middle ear pressure measurements with the portable tympanometer Otoflex 100. Examinations were carried out during daily activities at defined time intervals.

Results: Significant negative middle ear pressure were seen in patients with Meniere's disease compared with patients with sudden hearing loss and healthy subjects (p < 0.01). Average middle ear pressure in patients with Meniere's disease was -43 daPa, in patients with sudden hearing loss it was 2 daPa, and in healthy subjects it was 4 daPa. Patients with Meniere's disease showed a large variability of pressure values ranging from strongly pathological to normal values during long-term measurements.