title: [A primary study of bone conduction hearing loss in adults with otitis media with effusion].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the bone conductive hearing loss in adults of otitis media with effusion (OME).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty adults of OME treated in our hospital, from Mar. 2009 to Feb. 2010, were enrolled for analyzing bone conduction hearing loss (BCHL) before auripuncture and after auripuncture, the difference between which were compared in 51 ears. BCT of pre auripuncture 24 subjects, BCT of post-auripuncture 22 subjects, and BCT recovered from OME 9 subjects compared with the contralateral ear respectively. High and extend high frequency (8, 10, 12, 16 kHz) air conduction threshold (ACT) after recover from OME was compared to the normal contralateral ear in 4 adults.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BCT improved significantly after auripuncture at the frequencies (0.5-4.0 kHz), and the improvements in 4.0 kHz are more than that in 0.5 kHz significantly (P<0.05). In the unilateral OME subjects, BCT, of post auripuncture and recovered from OME, nearly recovered to the same level as the contralateral ear in most cases. While high and extend-high frequency (8, 10, 12, 16 kHz) ACT elevated in 3 of 4 patients recovered from OME.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both effusion in middle ear and injury in inner ear could result in the elevation of BCT. Elevation of BCT at regular frequencies (0.5-4.0 kHz) is frequently associated with the effusion in middle ear, while these frequencies were insensitive in the early inner ear injury. The high and extend high frequency ACT elevation may be sensitive for the early sensorineural hearing loss. As the disease prolonged, sensorineural hearing loss of the lower frequencies (0.5-4.0 kHz) could be detected of OME patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China.
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Wandong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: She
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Junguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001844:Bone Conduction; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*