A Novel Objective Diagnostic Test for Otitis Media With Effusion

Overview

Otitis media with effusion (OME) cases refer to a clinically silent condition. Otoscopic findings are subjective and not always reliable. As an objective test tympanometric evaluation is imperfect for diagnosis of OME. The objective of our study was to investigate, in OME cases, the correlation of tympanic membrane color changes with the presence and viscosity of effusion in the middle ear. The study aimed to provide objective diagnostic and therapeutic criteria for patients scheduled for surgery by 2 means: measuring the viscosity of the fluid and evaluating color changes objectively with red-green-blue (RGB) measurements.

Endoscopic images of the tympanic membranes of 52 patients (Group 1) and 52 healthy controls (Group 2) were taken during their otologic examinations. All patients in Group 1 had hearing loss and were diagnosed with OME after audiological evaluation. Specific points were designated at certain areas on each tympanic membrane, and RGB values of those specific points were measured on the tympanic membrane images of both groups. Additionally, in Group 1 viscosity of each effusion taken by paracentesis during surgery was also measured intraoperatively with a viscometer. Patients with viscosity values lower than 450 cP (centipoise) were subdivided into Group 1a, and those with values higher than 450 cP into Group 1b.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes