Audiometric and Tympanometric Assessment in Patients with Oral Submucous Fibrosis

Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is regarded as a potentially malignant condition. It is characterized by a mucosal rigidity of variable intensity because of the fibroelastic changes of the juxta epithelial layer, resulting in a progressive inability to open the mouth. Oral submucous fibrosis can cause fibrosis and degeneration of tubal and paratubal muscles extending to nasopharynx causing alteration in eustachian tube function. So, this study was carried out with an aim to determine the effect of OSMF on the function of the eustachian tube.

Materials and Methods: 80 ears of 40 patients with OSMF and 40 ears of 20 normal persons had undergone audiometry and tympanometry after a thorough history taking and clinical examination.

Results: Out of the 80 ears in the OSMF group, Type A curve in 44 (55%) ears. Type As 13 (16.3%) ears, type Ad in 7 (8.8%) ears, type B in 9 (11.3%) and type C in 7 (8.8%) ears (Table 3, Graph 2). The control group showed type A curve in all individuals. On pure tone audiometry (PTA) of study group hearing was found to be normal in 47 (58%) ears; mild hearing loss was found in 28 (35%) ears and moderate hearing loss in 5 (6.3%) ears while it was normal in all subjects in the control group. When tympanometry curves were compared in different groups of oral submucous fibrosis (according to Khanna et al), a significant relation was found. Type A curve was decreased as the group progress from 1 to 4 while reverse was true for type As, Ad and C curve with significant value of .0009.

Conclusion: The data obtained were analyzed statistically using chi-square test, which suggested a significant association between different stages of OSMF and eustachian tube function. Therefore, it can be concluded that eustachian tube function may be affected in OSMF.