A Pilot Study to Assess the Vestibular Apparatus Function with Videonystagmography During Chronic Otitis Media with Effusion.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of chronic middle ear effusion (CMEE) on balance and equilibrium. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective study controlling two groups of children. The active arm consisted of children having a unilateral or bilateral CMEE that persisted for at least 3 months. The control group consisted of children presenting with normal middle ear. Children and parents in both groups were questioned about any symptom of vertigo, dizziness, disequilibrium or child's tendency to fall. ENT exam included an assessment with pneumatic and microscopic otoscopy, evaluation of the vestibular system with the Romberg test, the Fukuda test, the head-shaking test and the Starwalk test. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 15 children (mean = 6.5 years, SD = 2; 10 females and 5 males). The control group consisted also of 15 children (mean = 7.2 years, SD = 1.8; 8 females and 7 males). The duration of MEE was between 3 and 12 months (mean = 8 months). Three children (20%) in the study group had a history of vertigo, imbalance, disequilibrium and/or tendency to fall. None of the children in the control group had such a history (p = 0.22); Five children in the study group had abnormal head-shaking test, Fukuda and/or Starwalk tests (33.33%). Two children in the control group had such a finding (13.33%) (p = 0.39). Romberg test was normal in all children in both groups. In the study group, one child showed positional and spontaneous nystagmus on VNG testing. Another one showed positional nystagmus. Hence, 2 children had abnormal findings on VNG (13.33%). In the control group, VNG was normal in all children (p = 0.46). Tympanometry showed a type B curve in 26 ears, a type C curve in 3 ears and type A in one ear. In the control group all patients presented a type A curve. CONCLUSION: This paper describes the first study using VNG in a population of children with CMEE. The presence of balance disturbances associated or not with hearing loss is of paramount importance to the clinician as to the indications of myringotomy with a tube intervention.

Down syndrome: an electrophysiological and radiological profile.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To assess the hearing status of trisomy 21 patients by analyzing electrophysiological and radiological findings of any correlation between hearing impairment and major or minor inner ear malformations. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective radiological and electrophysiological study. METHODS: A group of 34 ears of Down syndrome subjects and 20 ears of a volunteer age- and sex-matched control group of 10 normal subjects were studied electrophysiologically by means of otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response. Temporal bone computed tomography (CT) scans were carried out in both groups; radiological findings were compared. Inner ear structure measurements were applied attempting to disclose subtle bony labyrinthine anomalies. The findings from both groups were statistically analyzed employing the t test. RESULTS: The rate of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in Down syndrome group was 41%. Temporal bone CT scans showed no ossicular malformation in all Down syndrome cases. Major inner ear abnormalities were disclosed in 5.8%; they corresponded to two cases of lateral semicircular canal dysplasia detected on CT images by visual inspection. The application of various inner ear structure measurements increased the overall detection rate of common inner ear malformations to 47%. A statistically significant correlation was found between hearing level and vestibule length (P = .009) and internal auditory canal length (P = .028). Vestibular aqueduct width was correlated to different otic abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: SNHL is mainly secondary to the underestimated subtle inner ear malformations that are adequately demonstrated by adopting standardized inner ear structure measurements on petrous bone imaging. Vestibular height and internal auditory canal length were correlated to SNHL. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3b.