Article
Clinical application of high frequency tympanometry in children
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Published: | April 22, 2008 |
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Outline
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The aim of this study is to perform the clinical practice of tympanometry and to investigate the middle ear dynamic characteristics in newborns using high frequency /HFT/ and conventional tympanometry to evaluate the diagnostic significance of HFT. We tested 101 ears by HFT and conventional tympanometry. 76 ears were in children up to 7 months, respectivly 25 ears – in children up to 3 years old. The first group was divided in two subgroups:
- A – with blocked middle ear /28 ears/
- B – children dropped at of the neonatal hearing screening program by transient otoacoustic emmissions /TOAE/ - 48 ears.
All children in the first subgroup /28 ears/ presented high impedance when tested by conventional tympanometry using probing tone 226 Hz. However, tested by HFT /probing tone 1000Hz/ normal tympanometric data where found in 11 ears, while in 17 ears – high impedance. Testing the second subgroup by conventional tympanometry we found high impedance in 40 ears, while 8 ears – with normal values. Tested by HFT – 42 ears were normal and 6 ears with high impedance.
All children from the second group up to 3 years old /25 ears/ showed high impedance tested by conventional tympanometry, while tested by HFT – 4 ears normal and 21 with high impedance.
We considere that HFT is a more precise method for the evaluation of middle ear pressure in children under 7 months.