Stapedectomy for far-advanced otosclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to describe far-advanced otosclerosis and to present the authors' results with stapedectomy in 78 ears with far-advanced otosclerosis.


METHODS
The study design was a retrospective case review.


METHODS
The study was conducted at an Otology/Neurotology tertiary referral center.


METHODS
Stapedectomy was performed on 78 ears of 60 patients with far-advanced otosclerosis, and the results followed from 1 to 21 years with a mean of 5 years.


METHODS
Stapedectomy was performed on all ears with far-advanced otosclerosis.


METHODS
Hearing for air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC), speech discrimination, and impedance were tested on all patients before and after operation. The Rinne test was performed on all ears with a 256-cycle magnesium tuning fork. The pure-tone average for AC and BC was computed for 500, 1,000, and 2,000 Hz. Hearing improvement was defined as air-bone gap closure to 10 dB or less and/or AC improvement of 20 dB or more, with no decline in speech discrimination score of more than 10%.


RESULTS
Hearing improvement was achieved in 52 (66.7%) of 78 ears of all operations. In group 1, AC was greater than 90 dB, BC was greater than 60 dB, and hearing improved in 26 (81.2%) of 32 ears of operations. In group 2, AC was greater than 90 dB and no measurable BC and hearing improved in 11 (68.8%) of 16 ears of operations. In group 3, there was no measurable AC and BC greater than 60 dB and hearing improved in two (50%) of four ears of operations. In group 4, there was no measurable AC and BC and hearing improved in 11 (42.3%) of 26 ears of operations. Nonmeasurable BC became measurable in 42.9% of ears, nonmeasurable AC became measurable in 73.3% of ears, and all of these became aidable after operation.


CONCLUSIONS
A negative Rinne test result with a 256-Hz magnesium tuning fork proved to be the best test to separate far-advanced otosclerosis from sensorineural hearing loss of other causes. Stapedectomy is of benefit in most ears with profound hearing loss of far-advanced otosclerosis, especially in those ears with some measurable hearing by AC.
Shea
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PF
University of Tennessee, Center for the Health Sciences, Shea Clinic, Memphis 38119, USA.
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Shea
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013201:Stapes Surgery / Q000379:methods*