DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF THE ETDQ-7 IN ADULTS AT UNIVERSITY OF BENIN TEACHING HOSPITAL

Background: Diagnoses of Eustachian tube dysfunction in Benin City are typically made clinically or with tympanometry. The Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire-7 (ETDQ-7) is a scoring system with potential as an alternative tool, particularly useful in resource-challenged settings. This novel tool may not have been previously investigated in this environment for its accuracy. Objective: The study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire-7 (ETDQ-7) to tympanometry (used as the reference standard) in identifying adult patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction at the ENT clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Methodology: This was a hospital-based, prospective diagnostic accuracy study using a case-control design. A total of 150 study participants were recruited, including 75 case participants and 75 controls. The ETDQ-7 instrument was administered to all participants, followed by tympanometry for each. Data were analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS) version 26. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of the ETDQ-7 in the study group was found to be 68%, while in the control group, it was 85.4%. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) for the study group was approximately 0.75, and for the control group, it was approximately 0.80. Conclusion: The ETDQ-7 demonstrates moderate accuracy for the diagnosis of Eustachian tube dysfunction, making it a useful tool for adoption as a screening method. Its ease of administration, noninvasive nature, and reproducibility make it particularly advantageous in settings where resources are limited. However, due to its moderate specificity, it is best utilized as a preliminary screening tool rather than a definitive diagnostic method.