Tinnitus Associated to Middle Ear Surgery and Correlation to the Audiometric Data

Tinnitus associated to middle ear surgery and correlation to the audiometric data.

Aim:
To evaluate the effect of middle ear surgery on Tinnitus and possible correlation to the audiometric data.

Materials and methods:
Retrospective analysis of all middle ear surgeries in a tertiary university clinic from Sep 2017 to Oct 2018. Patients with active middle ear implants were excluded. A tinnitus score of 0-24 using the german version of Tinnitus Questionnaire TQ12 acc. to Goebel-Hiller was raised preoperatively, 2-8 weeks postoperatively and about one year postoperatively. The mean of the Bone Conduction (BC) and Air Bone Gap (ABG) for the frequencies 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz was calculated for every pure tone audiogram. The correlation of the tinnitus score to the audiometric data was analyzed using the paired t-test.

Results:
189 operations were included in the statistical analysis. The tinnitus score was significantly affected by the BC preoperatively (t = 2.145 p=0.033). The change of the Tinnitus score postoperatively for the whole cohort of patients was not significant. Nevertheless the reduction of the Tinnitus score correlates significantly with the reduction of the ABG in the group of patients with tinnitus only in the operated ear (t=2.41 p=0.0173).

Conclusion:
Middle ear surgery resulting in reduction of the ABG could reduce the impact of tinnitus in patients with tinnitus only in the operated ear.

Source: https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0040-1711247