Abstract: ObjectiveTo explore the influence of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) on bone conduction (BC) threshold.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted to 122 patients with unilateral CSOM. All the patients received bilateral pure tone audiometry preoperatively. Taking BC threshold of the uninvolved ear as control, comparisons of BC thresholds at all frequencies among different age groups, between groups of simple CSOM and CSOM with cholesteatoma, intact and destroyed ossicular chains, positive and negative bacterial culture results were performed respectively. The factors affecting BC threshold were analyzed.ResultsThe BC thresholds of the affected ears were significantly higher than those of the healthy ones at 500 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz, while the differences at 250 Hz and 1000 Hz were insignificant. In terms of age distribution, the differences between affected and healthy ears tended to reduce gradually with age. The effects of middle ear cholesteatoma and ossicular chain destruction on BC threshold were obvious at all frequencies, while those of the disease course and bacterial culture were insignificant.Conclusions①Chronic suppurative otitis media affects the BC thresholds at all frequencies, but the degree of damage varies among different frequencies. ②Chronic suppurative otitis media may affect the BC thresholds of healthy ears.③The middle ear cholesteoma and ossicular chain destruction can influence BC thresholds of the affected ears significantly.
