Hearing loss in patients with extracranial complications of chronic otitis media

Objective: A pure tone audiomety analysis of patients with extracranial complications of chronic suppurative otitis media (ECCSOM). Material and methods: We retrospectively analyzed audiometric data performed before treatment from 63 patients with ECCSOM (56 single, 7 multiple complications) including groups of frequencies. Results: The greatest levels of hearing loss were noted for 6 and 8 kHz (79.0 and 75.7 dBHL) and for the frequency groups high tone average (76.1 dBHL). As regards the severity of hearing impairment in pure tone average the prevalence of complications was as follows: labyrinthitis (77.8±33.6 dBHL), facial palsy (57.1±14.3 dBHL), perilymphatic fistula (53.9±19.9 dBHL) and mastoiditis (42.2±9.5 dBHL) (p=0.023). Conclusions: Hearing loss in ECCSOM is dominated by mixed, high-tone, moderate type of hearing loss, most profound in labyrinthitis. In 11% of patients the complication causes total deafness.