The effect of ventilation tubes on otoacoustic emissions. A study of 106 ears in 62 children.
The aim of this investigation was to study the presence and the characteristics of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) in ears with ventilation tubes. Theoretically the small mass and the opening of the tube could influence the OAE. We studied a population of children between the age of 3 and 9 years with functional ventilation tubes and a normal hearing on pure tone audiometry (Fletcher index < 25 dB). A total of 110 ears from 62 children were included. According to the criterion of 70% wave reproducibility, TEOAE were present in 86.7% of the ears. Looking at the reproducibility in the different frequency bands of the response, it was found that the TEOAE were strongest in the 2 kHz frequency band. It is concluded that the measurement of TEOAE can be used as a useful hearing test in young children with ventilation tubes, maybe even when pure tone audiometry is not yet possible. However, false negative results were found in about one tenth of the ears.
Charlier
K
K
Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, K.U.Leuven, Belgium.
Debruyne
F
F
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000379:methods*; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000502:physiology