Assessment of Pediatric Middle Ear Effusions With Wideband Tympanometry. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Callaham, Sarah; Newby, Maxwell; Saoji, Aniket A.; Ramadan, Jad; Carr, Michele M.
• Is Part Of: Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery. Volume 165:Number 3(2021)
• Page Start: 465
• Page End: 469
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: wideband tympanometry -- wideband reflectance -- otitis media -- middle ear effusion; Head -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Neck -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Otolaryngology -- Periodicals; 617.51
• DOI: 10.1177/0194599820978262
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0194-5998

Abstract

Objective: To determine if wideband tympanometry (WBT) can differentiate types of middle ear effusion (MEE): serous, mucoid, and purulent. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary care children's hospital. Methods: Children who met American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery's guidelines for ventilation tube insertion had WBT after anesthesia induction but before tympanotomy. MEE was categorized into 1 of 4 comparison groups: serous effusion, mucoid effusion, purulent effusion, or no effusion. WBT measurements were averaged to 16 one-third octave frequency bands, and comparison of the absorbance patterns for each MEE type was performed through a linear mixed effects model. Results: A total of 118 children (211 ears) were included: 47 females (39.8%) and 71 males (60.2%). The mean age was 2.73 years (95% CI, 2.25-3.22); mean weight, 14.35 kg (95% CI, 12.85-15.85); and mean Z score, 1.13 (95% CI, –0.64 to 2.33). Effusions included 61 mucoid (28.9%), 30 purulent (14.2%), and 14 serous (6.6%), with 106 (50.2%) having no effusion. No significant differences were found for sex, race, age, weight, or Z score among the 4 types of effusion ( P < .05). WBT showed a significant difference in median absorption among the effusion groups ( P < .001), with a medium effect size of 0.35. Conclusions: WBT has potential use to differentiate types of MEE and should be studied further as a tool for investigating how the natural history and management of serous and mucoid effusions may differ.