Diagnosis of tympanic scarring

  The tympanic scarring produces tympanosclerosis, which is also called tympanic ventricular vitreous degeneration, and is caused by the deposition of plaques of collagen tissue under the epithelium of the tympanic mucosa, mostly on the tympanic ventricular mucosa and the auditory bone. It involves the upper tympanic chamber more severely and the lower tympanic chamber less severely, with the hammer bone, anvil, stapes and tendons being the most susceptible, thus causing much deafness. This condition was discovered by Cassebohm in the 18th century, but was not given much attention until recent times (1955), when numerous microscopic otologic procedures were performed.  The development of tympanic scarring is usually slow, even if the patient cannot clearly describe when the onset of the disease began. Sometimes the development of the lesion is accelerated by certain factors, such as pregnancy, and in some patients hearing loss can be stable for a considerable period of time after reaching a certain level. Tympanic membrane scarring often manifests as deafness, tinnitus, mishearing, and vertigo, which can be extremely distressing to patients and requires aggressive diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis of tympanic membrane scarring can be made on the following diagnostic bases: 1. Progressive hearing loss with tinnitus of unclear etiology. It mostly occurs in adolescence, first on one side, and worsens during pregnancy. There may be Wechsler mishearing, or mild vertigo. There is often a family history.  2. Examination of the tympanic membrane is thin or normal, Schwartze’s sign (translucent red sign) can be present, and the eustachian tube is open.  The hearing curve is predominantly low-frequency decline in the early stage, flat curve in the middle stage, and Carhart’s cut (valley cut) in the bone conduction curve, and mixed deafness in the late stage.  4. Acoustic impedance audiometry showed a decrease in acoustic compliance, the drumming curve was As-shaped, and the stapedius muscle reflex disappeared.  5. Papillary radiographs show good pneumatization, and X-ray multi-track tomography may show a source of sclerosis of the bone vagus wall.