الفهرس 
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Abstract
CSOM is one of the most prevalent chronic infectious diseases, particularly in developing countries. It is a significant cause of hearing loss and can cause extracranial and intracranial complications. Many long-term consequences of CSOM, such as SNHL, tinnitus, psychological challenges, and poor quality of life, have been reported.
Structural damage to the cochlea and vestibule owing to CSOM has been widely demonstrated. Studies have shown that bacterial products, toxins, enzymes, and inflammatory mediators may spread through the round window membrane to the labyrinth, resulting in injury and damage to the cochlea and vestibule. However, the clinical effects of cochlear and vestibular damage due to CSOM are variable and have not been widely reported. SNHL and dizziness are reported to result from such damage.
The aim of the work was to evaluate balance and vestibular function in patients with CSOM. Sixty-five patients with CSOM and 65 healthy participants as controls were included. Any participant who could have a peripheral or central cause of a vestibular deficit or any participant who did not meet the study requirements were excluded. Patients with CSOM with vestibular symptoms were instructed to complete the DHI. All participants underwent physical examination, otoscopy, pure-tone audiometry, SOT, vHIT, and VEMP.
Patients with CSOM exhibited a high prevalence of vestibular symptoms (52.3%). The CSOM group had poor SOT vestibular scores compared to the control group. Patients with CSOM had worse sways in the AP and ML planes. The CSOM group was divided into two subgroups according to the type of hearing loss. SOT vestibular scores were significantly poorer in the MHL group than those in the CHL group. 15.4% of the CSOM group had abnormalities in the vHIT results in the form of low VOR gain and corrective saccades. The results of cVEMP and oVEMP confirmed the presence of otolith organ dysfunction. The study provides clinical evidence of the presence of vestibular deficits in some patients with CSOM.