Comparison of bilateral eardrum temperatures measured using an infrared tympanic thermometer before and after surgery in patients with chronic otitis media

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of chronic otitis media (COM) and COM surgery on infrared tympanic thermometer measurements. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 192 patients (192 surgery cases) who underwent surgery for COM and whose bilateral tympanic membrane temperature was measured with an infrared tympanic thermometer the day before surgery and at 2, 3, 4, and 6 months after surgery. Patients underwent surgery for COM in 1 ear, the other eardrum was intact. Patients who underwent tympanoplasty, simple mastoidectomy, and canal wall up mastoidectomy, surgeries performed to preserve the ear canal, were included in group A, and patients who underwent canal wall down mastoidectomy, a surgery to remove the ear canal, were included in group B. There were 115 and 77 patients in groups A and B, respectively. The mean temperature on the side with COM measured the day before surgery was 37.09°C ± 0.325°C and the mean temperature on the opposite normal side was 37.03°C ± 0.330°C (P = .000). In group A, the eardrum temperature on the surgical and contralateral side was not statistically different after surgery (P = .439). The temperature difference between both sides of the eardrums (dTemp) changed from 0.056°C before surgery to 0.014°C after surgery (P = .008). However, in group B, which canal wall down mastoidectomy was performed, the eardrum temperature of the surgical side was higher than that on the other side (P = .001). The dTemp increased up to 0.15°C after surgery (P = .000). The temperature of the eardrum was slightly increased by COM. The COM surgeries, which preserve the ear canal, brought the temperature of the eardrum close to that of the normal eardrum, and the surgery to remove the ear canal raised the temperature of the eardrum.Abbreviations: COM = chronic otitis media, CWDM = canal wall down mastoidectomy, dTemp = temperature difference between both sides of the eardrums, ITT = infrared tympanic thermometer, TP = tympanoplasty, SM = simple mastoidectomy.

Effect of eardrum perforation and chronic otitis media on the results of infrared tympanic thermometer in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Therefore, it is very likely that most of the subjects included in the studies by Schmal (2006) and Tasli (2018) had eardrum perforation (eardrum perforation caused by chronic otitis media or accompanying chronic otitis media after eardrum perforation) associated with chronic otitis media. In summary, the analysis using Data (A) of Kim (2022) is close to the result of the effect of chronic otitis media on temperature measurement using ITMT; the result of the analysis using Data (B) of Kim (2022) can be considered as a result of analyzing the effect of the perforated eardrum on temperature measurement using ITMT. The ITMT measures the radiant emitted from the tympanic membrane.…”

“…[10] The eardrum perforations were caused by chronic otitis media without cholesteatoma. It is necessary to note "CSOM with tympanic membrane perforation" among the subjects in the study by Kim (2022). The disease is usually operated on when the period without ear discharge lasts for at least 3 to 4 weeks.…”

“…The patients included in the study by Kim (2022) had chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) with tympanic membrane perforation (n = 145) or chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma (n = 47). [7] The patients' tympanic membrane temperatures were measured the day before surgery.…”

“…Generally, a systematic review and a meta-analysis are exempt from Institutional Review Board screening due to the use of published data and noninclusion of individualized patient data. However, because this study included unpublished data from Kim (2022), approval from the Institutional Review Board was obtained (CR-23-034).…”

“…Through the literature search, 631 potentially relevant studies were initially identified, of which 4 were finally included in the analysis. [7][8][9][10] The selection process for the studies to be included is presented in Figure 1.…”