Chronic Otitis Media and its Correlation with Unilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss in a Tertiary Care Centre of North India

In this study, 840 patients of unilateral COM were included. Audiometry was done and data analyzed. Majority of patients showing SNHL had COM for over a period of 5 years. Squamosal disease showed early progression to SNHL than mucosal disease. Higher frequencies were found to be more affect ed and maximum bone gap was seen at 4000 Hz. There was significant difference in mean bone conduction threshold between diseased ear and normal ear at all frequencies (p value  <  0.001). Contradicting studies have emerged about association of SNHL with COM. Studies suggest that SNHL does not change with age but with duration. Bone conduction threshold tends to increase with increasing frequency. Few authors also pointed that this may be due to Carhart’s effect and not d ue to disease damaging inner ear.
Source: Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Source Type: research