The Value of Wideband Acoustic Immittance in Identification of Inner Ear Pathology:A Systematic Review

YUE Yuhong; MU Yi; LIU Jie; LIN Huan; QIAO Yuehua; LIU Wen; JIANG Wen

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1672-2922.2024.01.027

Abstract：Objective The goal of this review is to assess the diagnostic utility of wideband acoustic immittance(WAI)in identifying inner ear diseases through comprehensive analysis and synthesis of existing literatures.Methods A systematic literature search was conducted across databases including PubMed,Web of Science,and CNKI,for articles in both English and Chinese pertaining to application of WAI in identification of inner ear diseases published up to July 2023.Studies were selected based on predetermined criteria and their quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2(QUADAS-2)tool.Prior to assessing the quality of the articles,audiology experts were consulted to refine the QUADAS-2 parameters.Two independent reviewers,along with a third one for methodolog-ical quality,were involved in the evaluation process.Key data extracted from each study included authorship,publica-tion date,sample size,demographic details,and analysis parameters.Results The review included 17 original studies,7 on Meniere's disease,4 on large vestibular aqueduct syndrome,5 on superior semicircular canal dehiscence,and 1 on en-dolymphatic hydrops.Most studies were published between 2019 and 2023,reflecting on-going progresses in this field.Relatively small sample sizes,non-uniform analysis metrics,and divergent conclusions for similar diseases were some of the issues noticed in the selected studies.QUADAS-2 evaluation revealed potential biases due to inadequate details on case selection,blinding during evaluation,and interpretation of diagnostic test results.Conclusion While WAI,as a rapid,non-invasive audiological assessment tool,has garnered increasing interests,it requires further investigation in the context of inner ear disease diagnosis.Primary limitations of current research include insufficient sample size,low meth-odological quality and lack of consensus.This review suggests the necessity for robust study design to confirm WAI's di-agnostic potentials in inner ear diseases.