METHOD FOR NON-INVASIVE DETECTION OF LABYRINTH HYDROP IN PATIENTS WITH MIXED FORM OF HEARING LOSS Russian patent published in 2020 - IPC A61B8/00 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to medicine, particularly to otorhinolaryngology. Bone conductivity (BC) and air conduction (AC), air-bone gap (ABG) are determined by audiological examination of each ear. Lateralization of sound is determined in the audiometric experience of Weber by establishing a bone conduction sensor on the sagittal line in the center of the forehead, thus determining a better or normally hearing ear. That is followed by camouflaging a better hearing ear with narrow-band noise of +40 dB above the AC threshold, and re-determining thresholds AC, BC and ABG for the worse hearing ear. That is followed by determining an audible threshold of an ultrasonic signal (US) common for both ears, for which the US emitter is placed on the forehead of the patient on a sagittal line of the head near a hair growth boundary with preliminary application of Vaseline oil on the skin surface. US signal is transmitted at frequency of 100 kHz and the US audibility threshold is determined, and the US signal is lateralized at the threshold of audibility of US and at louder sound – by 5–7 dB more than the threshold of audibility US (over-threshold lateralization). When combined: increasing the thresholds of the BC worse hearing ear and reducing its ABG values after disguising a better/normally hearing ear, lateralization of audible sounds in the Weber experience in the direction of a worse hearing ear or its absence (in the center of the forehead), avoiding lateralization of threshold and above-threshold US or presence of lateralization of US towards better/normally hearing ear – detecting presence of cochlear component on worse hearing ear. In this case, diagnosed thereon is mixed hearing loss without pronounced phenomena of the phenomenon of accelerated sound volume increase (PASVI). When combined: higher thresholds of BC thresholds of hearing ear and reduced values of its ABG after camouflage of better/normally hearing ear, lateralization of audible sounds in Weber's experience towards worse hearing ear, presence of lateralization of threshold and over-threshold US towards worse hearing ear – presence of a cochlear component on a worse-hearing ear is diagnosed, and mixed-based hearing loss is diagnosed on the cochlear component with manifested PASVI (labyrinth hydrop).

EFFECT: method enables detecting the manifested PASVI phenomena in a worse-hearing ear with unilateral or bilateral mixed hearing changes in the patient, confirming or refuting the labyrinth hydrop signs, that can influence prospects of hearing improvement in postoperative period and occurrence of remote postoperative changes in dynamics.

1 cl, 3 ex