Hearing impairment in patients with oral submucous fibrosis

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a premalignant condition of the oral cavity. The pathological changes in OSMF often affect mucosa, submucosa, and underlying muscles in the oral cavity and pharynx. The pathological changes of the tubal and para-tubal muscles can affect the function of the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube dysfunction in OSMF often may result in hearing impairment. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the effect of OSMF on Eustachian tube function resulting in hearing impairment. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was carried out at a tertiary care teaching hospital of Eastern India from June 2019 to July 2021. There were 68 patients with OSMF enrolled in this study by simple random sampling. In this study, 68 patients (136 ears) suffering from OSMF with hearing impairment or fullness/blockage feeling in the ear who participated in this study. The clinical profile of these patients was worked out by taking a detailed history and clinical examination. All the patients underwent audiological evaluation with pure-tone audiometry and tympanometry. Results and Discussion: Out of 68 patients, 42 (61.76%) were male and 26 (38.23%) were female with a male-to-female ratio of 1.61:1. The age ranges of the patients who participated in this study were between 18 years and 65 years. Pure-tone audiometry showed normal hearing in 86 (63.24%) ears, mild conductive hearing loss in 31 (22.79%) ears, moderate conductive hearing loss in 14 (10.29%) ears, and sensorineural hearing loss in 5 (3.68%) ears. Conclusion: The Eustachian tube may be blocked by the effect of the OSMF and result in hearing loss. Hence, while treating OSMF, hearing impairment in OSMF has to be kept in mind.