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CompletedNCT02179541Updated Jul 2, 2014

A Novel Objective Diagnostic Test for Otitis Media With Effusion

An observational study in Otitis Media With Effusion, sponsored by Nazan Degirmenci. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 5 Years to 12 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2014-07-02.

Sponsored by Nazan Degirmenci · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
52
Ages
5 Years to 12 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Otitis media with effusion (OME) cases refer to a clinically silent condition. Otoscopic findings are subjective and not always reliable. As an objective test tympanometric evaluation is imperfect for diagnosis of OME. The objective of our study was to investigate, in OME cases, the correlation of tympanic membrane color changes with the presence and viscosity of effusion in the middle ear. The study aimed to provide objective diagnostic and therapeutic criteria for patients scheduled for surgery by 2 means: measuring the viscosity of the fluid and evaluating color changes objectively with red-green-blue (RGB) measurements.

Read the detailed description

Endoscopic images of the tympanic membranes of 52 patients (Group 1) and 52 healthy controls (Group 2) were taken during their otologic examinations. All patients in Group 1 had hearing loss and were diagnosed with OME after audiological evaluation. Specific points were designated at certain areas on each tympanic membrane, and RGB values of those specific points were measured on the tympanic membrane images of both groups. Additionally, in Group 1 viscosity of each effusion taken by paracentesis during surgery was also measured intraoperatively with a viscometer. Patients with viscosity values lower than 450 cP (centipoise) were subdivided into Group 1a, and those with values higher than 450 cP into Group 1b.

02

Conditions studied

  • Otitis Media With Effusion

Keywords

  • Otitis media with effusion, viscosity, RGB (red-green-blue).
03

In context

Otitis

246 studies on the registry are indexed under Otitis; 21 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 52 is below the median of 165 across 63 observational studies indexed under Otitis.

Browse Otitis studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Nazan Degirmenci as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
5 Years to 12 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

Endoscopic images of the tympanic membranes of 52 patients (Group 1) and 52 healthy controls (Group 2) were taken during their otologic examinations. RGB values of specific points were measured on the tympanic membrane images of both groups. Additionally, in Group 1 viscosity of each effusion taken by paracentesis during surgery was also measured intraoperatively with a viscometer. Patients with viscosity values lower than 450 cP (centipoise) were subdivided into Group 1a, and those with values higher than 450 cP into Group 1b.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with OME, that had endoscopic-otoscopic examination findings and type-B tympanograms.
  • They were all scheduled for ventilation tube insertion.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients presenting with acute otitis media, tympanosclerotic plaques, mental retardation, and children who were difficult to cooperate with.
05

Study design

Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
52 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Group 1

    All Group 1 patients were diagnosed with OME, diagnoses made by endoscopic-otoscopic examination findings and type-B tympanograms. They were all scheduled for ventilation tube insertion. Diagnosis of OME was confirmed during this surgery. All patients were examined by 4 mm 0-degree Storz endoscope and light source. The Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 program was used for RGB measurements. Viscosity was measured by the Brookfield DV-II+ProCP Viscometer.

    Other: RGB

  • Group 2

    Children in Group 2 had totally normal tympanic membranes and type A tympanograms. They had no hearing loss, Eustachian tube dysfunction, or any other ear-related problem, and were included in the study as healthy controls. Excluded from the study were patients presenting with acute otitis media, tympanosclerotic plaques, mental retardation, and children who were difficult to cooperate with. All subjects were examined by 4 mm 0-degree Storz endoscope and light source. The Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 program was used for RGB measurements.

    Other: RGB

  • Group 1a

    To determine whether higher or lower viscosity of an effusion impacted RGB values, the patient group was subdivided into two subgroups according to viscosity level. Patients with an effusion below the mean viscosity value of 450 cP (centipoise) were assigned to Group 1a.

    Other: RGB

  • Group 1b

    To determine whether higher or lower viscosity of an effusion impacted RGB values, the patient group was subdivided into two subgroups according to viscosity level. Patients with an effusion above the mean viscosity value of 450 cP (centipoise) were assigned to Group 1b.

    Other: RGB

Interventions

  • OtherRGB

    When a circular area of 30 surrounding pixels are placed exactly upon the above-mentioned standardized points, the Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 program automatically measures the numerical values of the RGB color components in that area. The RGB values of the same points on the tympanic membrane images of the two groups were obtained and compared. Diagnostic significance of objectively assessed color changes at the tympanic membrane in OME patients was evaluated.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Mean RGB values

    Time frame: January-May 2013 (5 months)

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Bezmialem Vakif University
    Istanbul, Fatih 34093, Turkey
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 2, 2014, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02179541
Lead sponsor
Nazan Degirmenci
Responsible party
Nazan Degirmenci (M.D, Bezmialem Vakif University) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Jul 2, 2014
Start date
Jan 2013
Primary completion
May 2013
Completion
May 2013
Last update
Jul 2, 2014

Study contacts

Selahattin TUGRUL
principal investigator · Bezmialem Vakif University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2013. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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