The DPOAE threshold estimation is an essential tool in the audiologic diagnostic: Comparison of DPOAE I/O function with the pure-tone audiogram in 1557 patients

The accurate assessment of the hearing ability, especially in paedaudiology, with non-cooperative patients or in the situation of medical appraisal can be very challenging for the examiner. The use of DPOAE with threshold estimation (input/output function) to determine the threshold of the cochlear amplifier allows, besides a short measuring period and frequence specificity, a quantification of the hearing loss. 

In this retrospective study all patients receiving an age-appropriate pure-tone audiogram and a DPOAE threshold estimation (Cochlea-Scan, Fischer-Zoth/Natus; Sentiero, Path Medical) between 1500 Hz and 6000 Hz after performing an microscopic ear examination in the ENT Clinic, Klinikum rechts der Isar, between 2003 and 2021, were included.

1235 children were examined (age 1-4 n=623, age 5-10 n=417, age 11-14 n=195) and 322 adults (age 20-92). 32% of all patients presented without a hearing loss, 37% with a minimal or low-grade hearing loss. In 22% a moderate hearing loss was diagnosed and in 9% a profound hearing loss.

The correlation between pure-tone audiometry and DPOAE-threshold estimation was very high in patients above the age of 5, high in patients between the age 1-4.

This study shows that in patients with reliable participation in the pure-tone audiometry, the correlation between tone audiometry and function threshold of the cochlear amplifier is very high. In children below the age of 4, the with DPOAE estimated function threshold was subsequently confirmed during a reassessment. Thus, the DPOAE threshold estimation is an essential tool in the audiologic diagnostic of children, non-cooperative patients and in the field of medical appraisal.

Publication History

Article published online:
24 May 2022