Tympanoscopy to increase the accuracy of diagnosis in conductive hearing loss.

The diagnosis of conductive hearing loss is usually based on audiological methods and radiology. The aim of our study was to show that there is a useful additive method to clarify the findings of diseases with conductive hearing loss. Patients (151 ears) with conductive hearing loss were examined using several methods: otomicroscopy, air- and bone-conduction threshold,pure tone average, speech threshold, speech discrimination, tympanometry and stapedial reflex and tympanoscopy. The management of the patients changed in 17 per cent of cases due to tympanoscopy. In a group with normal tympanic membrane the movement of the stapes during endoscopy was compared to stapedial reflex. Stiff stapes were found more often than an abnormal stapedial reflex. Middle ear endoscopy can increase the accuracy of diagnosis of conductive hearing loss thus enhancing decision making in the case of the patient.