Middle ear functional activity in juvenile chronic arthritis: initial information

Elżbieta Reroń, Piotr Muszyński, Robert Przeklasa, Katarzyna Zajdel

Summary
Intraphalangeal joints are synovial joints with a cartilaginous joint surface, and as such they can be affected by rheumatoid changes, similar to these observed in other articulations in the body. The aim of our study was a comprehensive audiometric assessment of middle ear functional activity and hearing acuity in 38 children aged 4-16 years with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). The evaluation of the hearing organ was performed using pure tone audiometry (PTA), verbal audiometry, tympanometry, high frequency audiometry (HFA) and evoked otoacousic emissions (EOAEs). The initial analysis of these tests revealed abnormal tympanograms in the majority of children with JCA, which indicate diminished compliance in organs transmitting acoustic energy. These pathological changes are not sufficient to cause a conductive hearing loss but they can markedly reduce the defensive mechanisms of the middle ear.

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