Otoacoustic emissions are negative in otitis media with effusion. However in my researche group of children with otoscope findings of otitis media with effusion and tympanogramme type B there are patients with positive otosacoustic emissions. So could otoacoustic emissions have a role on follow-up of otitis media with effusion?
positive OAE, theoretically, signifies the health of cochlea.
Yes. If it is used to track the amplitude over time. I feel there will be variation in the amplitude of OAE and the presence or absence based on the stages of otitis media. So if OAE is used for follow up for a child over a period of time it might be useful. However, the effect of residual and long standing conductive problem and the effect of negative pressure in the middle ear on OAE amplitude in the absence of middle ear effusion should be kept in mind. Again with Audiometry this can be a useful follow up tool.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8839362
Thank you for your answer.
OAEs measure only the peripheral auditory system, which includes the outer ear, middle ear, and cochlea.
The typical patient with otitis media with effusion has tympanogramme type B and negative OAE as result of the presence of the effusion behind the tympanic membrane but with normal and functional cochlea. However the pathology of middle ear is responsible for the negative OAE.
In my researche group of children with otoscope findings of otitis media with effusion and tympanogramme type B there are patients with positive OAE. I am thinking of an use of OAE in follow-up of patients with otitis media with effusion : positive OAE for these patients who have not mucoid effusion and hearing loss over 30dB.
Thank you for your answer.
I will try the combination of otoscope findings, tympanometry, OAE and audiometry for the follow-up of my patients with otitismedia with effusion.
Yes the combination may help to check the validity of OAE for follow-up.
Practically, though, OAEs are a fiddly test that indicates the acoustic performance of the cochlea. If you're following OME, you're interested in the state of the middle ear, not the cochlea. If you have a very cooperative subject who, for whatever reason doesn't want to cooperate for subjective audiometry you could use OAE to estimate hearing, but only after demonstrating middle ear function and appreciating the limitations of OAE.
Thank you for your answer.
My researche group are children from 3 to13 years old. Usually, these patients who are 3-5 years old are not cooperative for subjective audiometry.
Good clinical examination of ear nose and oral cavity to rule out other pathology in this area with combination of otoscopic, tympanometry, OAE with regular follow up weekly Will will give good results.
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