Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of the human tympanic membrane in otitis media

• Published in: Physiological measurement Vol. 25; no. 6; pp. 1473 - 1483
• Main Authors: Sundberg, M, Peebo, M, Öberg, P Å, Lundquist, P G, Strömberg, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England IOP Publishing 01.12.2004
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Algorithms; Child; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted - methods; diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; erythema; Female; Humans; Male; Medical engineering; Medicinsk teknik; Myringoplasty; Other technology; otitis media; Otitis Media - diagnosis; Otitis Media - physiopathology; Otitis Media - surgery; Otitis Media with Effusion - diagnosis; Otitis Media with Effusion - physiopathology; Otitis Media with Effusion - surgery; Otoscopy - methods; Prognosis; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Spectrum Analysis - methods; TECHNOLOGY; TEKNIKVETENSKAP; Treatment Outcome; tympanic membrane; Tympanic Membrane - physiopathology; Övriga teknikvetenskaper
• ISSN: 0967-3334; 1361-6579; 1361-6579
• DOI: 10.1088/0967-3334/25/6/012

We have investigated if features in the diffuse reflectance spectra from in vivo spectroscopic measurements of the tympanic membrane could aid the diagnosis of otitis media in children. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, in the visible wavelength range, was used in 15 ears from children with otitis media with effusion before and after myringotomy and in 15 healthy ears as a reference. Two previously published erythema detection algorithms yielded numerical quantities of haemoglobin content. With a combination of the algorithms, induced erythema (after myringotomy) was distinguished from healthy ears using Student's t-test (p < 0.01). Otitis media with mucous effusion was distinguished from (1) otitis media with serous effusion, (2) induced erythema and (3) healthy ears, (p < 0.05) using Student's t-test for independent groups and the paired t-test for dependent groups. Our results imply that reflectance spectroscopy is a promising technique to be used for the diagnosis of otitis media.