Title: Magnetic resonance imaging and audiologic assessment of middle ear effusions in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma before radiation therapy.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of clinical methods, viz. otoscopy, pure-tone audiometry, and tympanometry in diagnosing middle ear effusions (MEEs) using magnetic resonance imaging as a reference standard.A retrospective study of 46 patients with newly diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma was performed comparing clinical evaluation and audiometry results with magnetic resonance imaging findings obtained before radiation therapy.Twenty-two (25%) of the temporal bones imaged had both MEE and mastoid effusions, 24 (27%) had only middle ear fluid, and 29 (33%) had mastoid fluid alone. The sensitivity for tympanometry, audiometry, and otoscopy in detecting fluid in the middle ear was 96%, 92%, and 80%, respectively. Although tympanometry was most sensitive in diagnosing MEE, there was no statistically significant difference when comparing the overall accuracy of pure-tone audiometry air-bone gap and tympanometry (p = 0.7, chi-square test). Flat curve tympanograms (type B) only achieved a sensitivity of 45% but were of high specificity (92%). Forty-nine percent with negative pressure tympanograms (mean air pressures > -100 daPa) had no MEE.Using magnetic resonance imaging as a reference standard, tympanometry is the most sensitive audiologic test in detecting the presence of MEE. The overall accuracy of tympanometry, pure-tone audiometry air-bone gap, and otologic examination was, however, not significantly different.
Publication Year: 1999
Publication Date: 1999-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 4
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