OBJECTIVE:

To determine the impact of allergic rhinitis on bone conduction and high frequency hearing thresholds in chronic suppurative otitis media.

METHODS:

Twenty-one patients scheduled for middle ear surgery with the diagnosis of chronic otitis media and simultaneous allergic rhinitis were included to the study. The age and gender matched 20 patients with no history and diagnosis of allergic rhinitis constituted the control group. The average of bone conduction thresholds in speech frequencies(500Hz,1000Hz and 2000Hz) and 4000Hz were calculated. The thresholds of contralateral healthy ear were substracted form the diseased ear to achieve corrected values. Bilateral high frequency hearing thresholds(8kHz,10kHz,12.5kHz ve 16kHz) were determined and corrected through the same method. The corrected bone conduction and high frequency hearing thresholds were compared statistically between two groups. The interaction of parameters were evaluated through the Pearson correlation. The effect of allergy, age and duration of disease on average(500Hz, 1000Hz and 2000Hz) and 4000Hz bone conduction thresholds were assessed through regression analysis.

RESULTS:

The eighteen male and 23 female subjects were enrolled to the study(the mean age 34.14±10.54years). In the allergic rhinitis group the skin prick test positivity was detected for mites (D.Pteronyssinus ve D.Farinea) in 10, polen (grass-mix, tree-mix) in 6, simultaneous mite, polen in 5, molds in 2 and animal feather in 2 patients. The age and duration of otitis media was not significantly different among two groups(p=0.53,p=0.91). The average of bone conduction hearing thresholds at speech frequencies(500Hz,1000Hz ve 2000Hz), 4000Hz and high frequencies were statistically higher in patient group with allergic rhinitis compared to nonallergic group(p=0.29,p=0.95,p=0.48,p=0.36,p=0.69).

Keywords: otitis media, suppurative, bone conduction, threshold, allergic rhinitis