A Novel Objective Diagnostic Test for Otitis Media With Effusion

Nazan Degirmenci

Status: Completed

Conditions: Otitis Media With Effusion

Treatments: Other: RGB

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02179541

B.30.2.BAV.0.05.05/467 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Otitis media with effusion (OME) cases refer to a clinically silent condition. Otoscopic findings are subjective and not always reliable. As an objective test tympanometric evaluation is imperfect for diagnosis of OME. The objective of our study was to investigate, in OME cases, the correlation of tympanic membrane color changes with the presence and viscosity of effusion in the middle ear. The study aimed to provide objective diagnostic and therapeutic criteria for patients scheduled for surgery by 2 means: measuring the viscosity of the fluid and evaluating color changes objectively with red-green-blue (RGB) measurements.

Full description

Endoscopic images of the tympanic membranes of 52 patients (Group 1) and 52 healthy controls (Group 2) were taken during their otologic examinations. All patients in Group 1 had hearing loss and were diagnosed with OME after audiological evaluation. Specific points were designated at certain areas on each tympanic membrane, and RGB values of those specific points were measured on the tympanic membrane images of both groups. Additionally, in Group 1 viscosity of each effusion taken by paracentesis during surgery was also measured intraoperatively with a viscometer. Patients with viscosity values lower than 450 cP (centipoise) were subdivided into Group 1a, and those with values higher than 450 cP into Group 1b.

Enrollment: 52 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 12 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with OME, that had endoscopic-otoscopic examination findings and type-B tympanograms.
• They were all scheduled for ventilation tube insertion.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients presenting with acute otitis media, tympanosclerotic plaques, mental retardation, and children who were difficult to cooperate with.

Trial design

52 participants in 4 patient groups

Group 1

Description:

All Group 1 patients were diagnosed with OME, diagnoses made by endoscopic-otoscopic examination findings and type-B tympanograms. They were all scheduled for ventilation tube insertion. Diagnosis of OME was confirmed during this surgery. All patients were examined by 4 mm 0-degree Storz endoscope and light source. The Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 program was used for RGB measurements. Viscosity was measured by the Brookfield DV-II+ProCP Viscometer.

Treatment:

Other: RGB

Group 2

Description:

Children in Group 2 had totally normal tympanic membranes and type A tympanograms. They had no hearing loss, Eustachian tube dysfunction, or any other ear-related problem, and were included in the study as healthy controls. Excluded from the study were patients presenting with acute otitis media, tympanosclerotic plaques, mental retardation, and children who were difficult to cooperate with. All subjects were examined by 4 mm 0-degree Storz endoscope and light source. The Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 program was used for RGB measurements.

Treatment:

Other: RGB

Group 1a

Description:

To determine whether higher or lower viscosity of an effusion impacted RGB values, the patient group was subdivided into two subgroups according to viscosity level. Patients with an effusion below the mean viscosity value of 450 cP (centipoise) were assigned to Group 1a.

Treatment:

Other: RGB

Group 1b

Description:

To determine whether higher or lower viscosity of an effusion impacted RGB values, the patient group was subdivided into two subgroups according to viscosity level. Patients with an effusion above the mean viscosity value of 450 cP (centipoise) were assigned to Group 1b.

Treatment:

Other: RGB