Audiological analysis of aged patients with chronic suppurative otitis media

Objective To study audiological characteristic of aged patients with chronic suppurative otitis media.Methods The data of 68 aged patients(60 years old) with unilateral chronic suppurative otitis media were reviewed.Speech frequencies(0.5,1.0,2.0,4.0 kHz),air conduction threshold and bone conduction threshold were analyzed.The affected tissue in the middle ear and the damages of the ossicular chain were observed in the operation.Pathological examination was performed on the affected tissue.Results The air conduction threshold and bone conduction threshold at all frequencies but 4 kHz of the ears with otitis media were higher than the opposite side.There was no obvious difference of the air or bone conduction threshold between patients with cholesteatoma and without.There were significant divergences in the air conduction threshold between patients with a normal ossicular chain and without,however,no divergences in the bone conduction threshold at 0.5,1.0,4.0 kHz were found between the two groups.Conclusions There are individualized audiological changes in aged patients with chronic suppurative otitis media.It is helpful for the treatment of aged patients with chronic suppurative otitis media when the corresponding audiological characteristics are fully understood.