Reliability of Air Caloric Response in Healthy Volunteers and Patients With Chronic Otitis Media / 대한평형의학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate reliability of the air caloric test compared to the water caloric test and to determine whether anatomical alterations due to chronic otitis media (COM) influence air caloric response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six subjects without vestibulopathy (24 healthy individuals as control group and 32 patients with unilateral COM as experimental group) were included. The bithermal water and air caloric test were sequentially conducted in control group. The bithermal air caloric tests, high-resolution temporal bone computed tomography and endoscopic photography of the ear drum were obtained from experimental group. RESULTS: Although maximal slow phase velocities and time to reach peak velocity using water irrigation were significantly higher and shorter, respectively, than those by air irrigation in normal subjects, caloric parameters on air caloric test agreed well with those of water caloric testing. However, inverted nystagmus occurred in 16 ears of 16 subjects, which was predominantly presented during warm air stimulation in the com patient group. The large tympanic membrane perforation and asymmetrical mastoid pneumatization were significant parameters affecting caloric response. The presented prediction model for cold-induced mspvs corresponded with observed values according to mastoid pneumatization. CONCLUSION: Although the air caloric stimuli resulted in a reliable response in healthy subjects, air caloric results among com patients affected by anatomical alteration as well as irrigation temperature. Presented mathematical model for cold induced mspv could serve as a good reference in measuring true vestibular function in com patients.