Background and Objectives:

The auditory system relies heavily upon the functioning of the middle ear; testing of this system's functioning is necessary in order to diagnose auditory pathologies accurately. The purpose of this study was to establish normative Tympanometry Parameters using monoaural frequency Clicks as stimuli in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq.

Methods:

Cross-sectional design with a sample size of 399 subjects, ages 8 through 59; subjects subdivided into three age cohorts. Subjects were assessed by means of Pure-tone Audiometry (PTA) and tympanometry testing at 226 Hz. Several tympanometric parameters were collected: peak admittance (Ytm), ear canal volume (ECV), tympanometric peak pressure (TPP) and tympanometric width (TW).

Results:

Both ECV and peak compliance increased significantly with age in both ears; (right ear ECV 1.12±0.28 to 1.40±0.28 mL; p≤0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in TPP across age cohorts (p=0.919). In addition, males showed significantly larger ECV bilaterally than females (right ear: 1.46±0.38 vs. 1.17±0.27 mL; p≤0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between sides (p=0.05) which suggests that the ears function similarly.

Conclusion:

This study has developed the first Iraqi normative database for single frequency tympanometry which reveals age- and gender-related differences in ECV and compliance, while also demonstrating stable Eustachian tube function. The population-specific norms that result from this research provide increased accuracy for diagnostic purposes in diagnosing middle ear pathologies related to Middle Eastern populations.