Correlation of Adenoid-Nasopharyngeal Ratio and Otitis Media with Effusion among Children-A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Adenoid hypertrophy is a common childhood disease leading to pathologies of middle ear cleft.A mere digital X-ray can diagnose adenoid hypertrophy and combining it with tympanometry provides information regarding the level of eustachian tube obstruction.The Adenoid-Nasopharyngeal Ratio (ANR), obtained using simple arithmetic calculation provides the degree of nasopharyngeal obstruction.Methods: A study was done at a tertiary care hospital in Mandya on 144 children in the age group 5-15 years.The study subjects were subjected to digital X-ray and impedance audiometry.Fujioka method was employed to measure nasopharyngeal and adenoid dimensions.Results: In this study, tympanometric type B curves were found to be maximum in ANR between 0.901-1 indicating the highest occurrence of otitis media with effusion (OME) in ANR between 0.901-1. Conclusion:The ANR and impedance audiometry used here indirectly quantifies the causation of middle ear pathology by adenoids.Also, these are non-invasive, economical, easily available and safely performed in the outpatient department.Thus, paves the way for timely and appropriate diagnosis and initiation of treatment, thereby preventing the progression to hearing loss.