ABSTRACT
Objective To study the false negative results of Gelle test .Methods Hearing test data between August 2013 to July 2014 were retrieved from outpatient records with hearing complaints of tinnitus or hearing loss . Recruiting criteria:no history of otitis media ,normal tympanic membrane ,no radiologic manifestations of lesions in middle ear and mastoid and abiltly of clear expression of changes of hearing .A total of 60 patients(120 ears ) were tested with conventional pure tone audiometry (PTA) and Gelle test .Acoustic immittance and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) were tested in 110 and 113 ears ,respectively .Results Among 120 ears ,7 were di‐agnosed as conductive hearing loss ,23 as mixed hearing loss ,52 as sensorineural hearing loss ,and 38 as normal hearing by pure tone audiometry .The negative Gelle test results were detected in 5 ,11 ,16 and 3 ears ,respective‐ly .110 ears were tested with tympanometry ,types A ,B and C tympanograms were found in 102 ears ,2 ears and 6 ears ,respectively ,and the negative Gelle test results were 22 ,2 and 4 ,respectively .DPOAEs were recordable in 56 ears and negative in 57 ears ,and negative Gelle tests were recorded in 12 and 17 ears respectively .Conclusion False-negative results were found in all types of PTA ,tympanometry and DPOAE .It indicates that Gelle test might not be sensitive and accurate enough to evaluate the integrity and mobility of ossicular chain .Gelle test com‐bined with PTA and DPOAE may be better for assessment of hearing loss and entity of ossicular chain .