Abstract

Background: After otorrhea and hearing loss, Tinnitus is the most common symptom in patients with chronic otitis media (COM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement of tinnitus in COM patients after tympanoplasty and tympanomastoidectomy surgeries. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on COM patients suffering from Tinnitus referred to Baqiyatallah hospital, Tehran, Iran undergoing tympanoplasty or tympanomastoidectomy surgeries between March 2013 and August 2014. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaires were filled before and two months after surgery by each patient, and considered subjects were compared with each other. Audiometry test was taken from each patient before and two months after surgery. Audiometry results as well as Air-Bone gap were measured and evaluated prior and after surgery. Data were analyzed using SPSS software by ANOVA, sample t-test and Chi-square tests. Results: Eventually, 26 male and 24 female patients with a mean age of 38.62 +/- 11.88 years were enrolled. Air conduction at all frequencies was 49.99 +/- 17.37 before and 36.98 +/- 22.06 after surgery (P < 0.001). Severity of tinnitus was 62.92 +/- 30.54 before and 30.54 +/- 20.08 after surgery based on THI (P < 0.001). Also, it was 7.46 +/- 1.66 before and 3.5 +/- 2.06 after surgery based on VAS evaluations (P < 0.001). Tinnitus severity reduction was significantly associated with the improvement of hearing loss and decrement of air-Bone gap (P < 0.001). Tinnitus symptoms such as loudness, annoyance, impact on life and perception of Tinnitus significantly reduced after surgery. Moreover, Tympanomastoidectomy was more effective on the improvement of Tinnitus in comparison with Tympanoplasty (P = 0.019). Conclusion: It seems that, both tympanomastoidectomy and tympanoplasty surgeries are effective on the improvement of tinnitus in patients with COM; however, Tympanomastoidectom surgery was shown to be more effective.