Diagnostic value of the multifrequency tympanometry in active rheumatoid arthritis.
We carried out a functional evaluation of the malleus-incus and incus-stapes joints in 37 patients with rheumatoid arthritis using multifrequency tympanometry. As a reference point, we calculated the resonance point using two different methods, and the results obtained were classified into two groups according to the phase of the disease: active, with clinical affection of the joint and with no medication; and inactive, asymptomatic. The results were compared with previously published criteria indicating normality, which underlined a significant correlation in the analysis of the resonance point between both groups, and which determined the value of multifrequency tympanometry in that stage and reactivation of the rheumatoid arthritis in active phase.
Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital General de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, Spain. cicarmar@usc.es
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D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010897:Pitch Discrimination / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted