Relationship between evoked otoacoustic emissions and conductive hearing loss in children

In this paper we would like to document the effect of middle ear pathology on the delectability of evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAEs) and their usefulness in monitoring the efficacy of the treatment. The study comprised 30 otologically healthy children (60 ears) and 54 children (108 ears)-average age 6.2 years with conductive hearing loss. In each child we performed: pure tone audiometry, tympanometric tests and click evoked otoacoustic emission (Click EOAE). All audiometric tests were recorded before the beginning, two weeks after the treatment and three months later. In the 108 ears in initial tympanometric examinations in 86 ears (79.7%) we observed pathological tympanograms B and C and the average middle ear pressure was higher than 300 daPa. EOAE in initial tests nas obtained in 56 ears (51.9%) but only in 15 ears (26.8%) it had correct values, whereas in the rest of 41 ears (73.2%) EOAE had reduced parameters. Follow up examinations confirmed change of parameters in subjective and objective assessments to normal values in 79.2% of cases in remote follow up examinations.