To critically examine the available evidence regarding the complementary role of acoustic immittance in patients with tinnitus and suspected Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), while distinguishing clinical evidence from indirect and mechanistic support.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Acoustic immittance testing may be a useful complementary tool when evaluating tinnitus patients with suspected Eustachian tube dysfunction, but current evidence does not yet support changing standard diagnostic protocols.
If acoustic immittance reliably identifies Eustachian tube dysfunction as a contributor to tinnitus, it could refine the diagnostic workup and guide more targeted management for a subset of tinnitus patients.
- 01Rapid review critically examines acoustic immittance measures as a diagnostic tool in tinnitus with suspected Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD).
- 02Eustachian tube dysfunction is an underexplored but plausible contributor to some forms of tinnitus.
- 03Acoustic immittance tests (e.g., tympanometry, acoustic reflex) are already widely available in audiology clinics.
- 04Evidence for the complementary diagnostic role of immittance in this context is preliminary.
- 05Published in the Journal of the International Advanced Otology (JIAO).
Acoustic immittance measures may have a complementary diagnostic role in tinnitus patients with suspected Eustachian tube dysfunction.
studypartially supportedEustachian tube dysfunction is a potential contributor to tinnitus.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42973397
- DOI
- 10.65717/iao.2026.262472.
- Journal
- Journal of the International Advanced Otology
- Publication type
- review
- Evidence level
- 2a
- Population
- Tinnitus patients with suspected Eustachian tube dysfunction
- Intervention
- Acoustic immittance measures (e.g., tympanometry, acoustic reflex testing)
Primary outcomes
Diagnostic accuracy or complementary value of acoustic immittance in detecting Eustachian tube dysfunction in tinnitus patients