title: Detecting and remediating external meatal collapse during audiologic assessment.
abstract: We present a case study in which the jaw/mouth-open procedure during air-conduction testing is employed to both detect and remediate external auditory meatal collapse. A prospective investigation was also conducted to compare the efficacy of the proposed jaw/mouth-open procedure with that of the traditional insert receivers in remediating meatal collapse during audiologic assessment. Meatal collapse was present in 6 of the 136 subjects evaluated. In these 6 subjects, the air-conduction thresholds under supra-aural headphones in the jaw/mouth-open condition were similar to those under insert receivers. We discuss the implications of this finding in clinical settings where insert receivers are not available.
authors.affiliation: Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001844:Bone Conduction; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004431:Ear, External / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D013067:Speech Perception