title: Air-bone gap and hearing impairment level predictive value in preoperative assessment of cholesteatoma localization in the tympanic cavity.
abstract: Pure-tone audiometric examination and its thorough analysis is decisive in the most adequate choice of the future otosurgical procedure. The final outcome of the middle ear surgery for hearing rehabilitation is closely dependent on thorough patients' qualification for adequate type of surgery. To analyze the predictive value of the air-bone gap and hearing impairment level (HIL) average value in the preoperative cholesteatoma patients assessment. Two groups of patients: group A (n = 41) cholesteatomatous chronic otitis media and group B (n = 31) simple chronic otitis media (tympanic membrane perforation, no ossicular interruption, no cholesteatoma) underwent the observations of the average value of air-bone gap and hearing impairment level (HIL). A statistically significant difference between the average value of the air-bone gap in group A (27.7 dB) and group B (23.6 dB) has been observed. The difference of 4.7 dB between average value of air-bone gap for epitympanic cholesteatoma localization (group A1 29.5 dB) and mezo- and hypotympanic localization (group A2 24.8 dB) has been statistically not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. The average values of air-bone gap in cholesteatoma epitympanic localization (29.5 dB) and mezo/hypotympanic localization (24.8 dB) has not statistically significant (p < 0.2540; F = 1.42) predictive value in preoperative assessment. 2. Patients with cholesteatoma have 4.2 dB (statistically significant; F = 4.386311; p < 0.03985) higher values of the average values of air-bone gap than patient with chronic otitis media simplex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otosurgery, Medical University of Lodz. durko@csk.am.lodz.pl
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Durko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery