ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Otorinolaringologia 2006 June;56(2):87-92

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Influence of ear cavities resonanceson hearing results of tympanoplasty

Zanetti D., Redaelli de Zinis L. O., Campovecchi C., Casigli F., Nassif N., Antonelli A. R.

Clinica Otorinolaringoiatrica Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia

Aim. The aim of the present study was to investigate the functional results of tympanoplasty in relation to anatomical modifications following closed and open mastoidectomies.
Methods. A total of 36 cases without mastoidectomy, 36 canal wall-up, and 40 canal wall-down tympanoplasties were assessed. The malleus handle was present in 70 cases and the stapes superstructure was conserved in 40 patients. Functional results were evaluated in terms of postoperative air-bone gap (ABG) and air conduction gain for frequencies from 0.5 kHz to 3 kHz.
Results. The observed differences appear to be related to anatomical modifications resulting from the three techniques, although statistically significant differences are seen only when the malleus handle is no longer present.
Conclusion. Analysis of the functional hearing test results in these patients appear to be in line with previously published predicted and experimental data. In practice, however, the observed differences in the anatomic modifications and the subsequent surgery-related changes in resonance do not appear to be so great as to be statistically significant, unless the malleus handle is also absent.