Correlation of size and site of tympanic membrane perforation to hearing loss

Abstract

This study has been done on100 patients of either sex and with dry perforations of tympanic membrane with no history of active middle ear disease, unilateral or bilateral, were selected randomly. The patients were selected from E.N.T department, Al-Azhar Assuit university hospital over the duration of one year from August 2012 to september 2013 The age of the patients ranged from15 years to55years. Perforations with preexisting or congenital hearing loss and sensory neural hearing loss (SNHL) were not included for the study. If the ears were discharging actively, they were treated accordingly i.e. by a course of antibiotics and/or decongestants for 2 weeks period . The larger the perforation, the greater the decibel loss in sound perception. Large central perforation involving all four quadrants results in more degree of hearing loss. The location of perforation on the tympanic membrane has significant effect on hearing loss. Posterior placed perforation has greater degree of loss. The conductive hearing loss resulting from tympanic membrane perforation is frequency dependent, with the largest losses