Eustachian tube dysfunction in OSMF- often present seldom discovered

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of OSMF on the eustachian tube function and to correlate it with various grades of the disease. STUDY DESIGN Twenty OSMF patients (40 ears) and 20 healthy controls (40 ears) were evaluated for eustachian tube function by eustachian tube function test, tympanometry and audiometry. RESULTS The audiometric and tympanometric analysis showed no significant differences in hearing abilities of OSMF patients and controls and between various grades of OSMF, indicating no hearing impairment. However, eustachian tube function test revealed a statistically significant difference in eustachian tube function in OSMF patients and controls. Further, there was a significant increase in severity of dysfunction with increase in severity of disease. CONCLUSIONS From the present study it is evident that the subjective function of Eustachian tube may be affected by disease process. But, probably the amount of deviation found in function of the eustachian tube is non contributing to cause a conductive hearing loss. Key words:Oral submucous fibrosis, eustachian tube function, tympanometry.