Clinical application of tympanometry in aviators.
Tympanometry is a new procedure in determining the status of the middle ear and can be helpful in assessing the function of the eustachian tube. Of 274 male aviators examined, 174 were normal, 40 cases had acute aerotitis media, and 60 cases had chronic aerotitis media. Impedance audiometry and pure tone audiometry were carried out by means of an electroacoustic impedance bridge and audiometer, respectively. Altitude chamber test was also performed. This study presents the results of tympanometry and inflation-deflation test in aviators. The normal average static compliance is 0.75 cc. Most normal aviators and patients with chronic aerotitis media in remission show a type A tympanogram, whereas type B and type C tympanograms are characteristic of acute aerotitis media. It is of interest that patients with chronic aerotitis media do not response normally to the inflation-deflation tympanometric tests. Tympanometry has been proved to be a very useful adjunct in the evaluation of the aerotitis media in aviators.
Tian
Z M
ZM
Center of Aviation Medicine, General Hospital of the Air Force, Beijing, China.
D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis*