Tympanometry: application and interpretation.
The poor relationship between hearing loss and ear disease minimizes the effectiveness of audiometry as a technique for the identification of middle ear disorders. Tympanometry has been shown to be a highly sensitive technique for the identification of and differentiation between middle ear disorders. It is particularly useful in a pediatric population where ear disease is so frequently encountered. The interpretation of tympanometry on the basis of a descriptive analysis of tympanograms is proposed as opposed to a coded typing system. Descriptive analysis views the pathological effects of middle ear diseases on pressure peaks, amplitude and shape of tympanograms.
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000399:Air Pressure; D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008365:Manometry; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000503:physiopathology