Is imaging necessary in pediatric patients with isolated tinnitus?

Objectives: Tinnitus is a common otologic complaint which can range from bothersome to debilitating. Imaging is frequently utilized to rule out tumors, fractures, and other causes but can also cause significant medical and economic burden for patients. Furthermore, the pediatric population may require sedation for imaging. This study explored how commonly imaging was performed in pediatric patients with isolated tinnitus and whether imaging results affected clinical care.

Methods: A retrospective case series of 266 patients aged 0-22 years diagnosed with tinnitus at a tertiary children's hospital was performed. Patients with otologic complaints other than tinnitus were excluded. Logistic regression, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and log-rank survival analysis were used for statistical analysis.

Results: The mean age of tinnitus diagnosis was 13.4 years (IQR 10.8-16.7), 221/266 (83.1 %) of patients were white, and 139/266 (52.3 %) were male. In the 108 with details available, 29 (26.9 %) had pulsatile tinnitus. Twenty-one of two-hundred and sixty-six (7.9 %) had a history of migraines and 24/266 (9.0 %) had a history of psychiatric diagnosis. Seventy-four out of two-hundred and sixty-six (27.8 %) of patients completed CT and/or MRI imaging. Eleven out of forty-four (14.9 %) of those who underwent imaging had abnormal findings, and only 1 MRI and 1 CT showed new abnormal findings. Of note, the abnormal MRI and CT were of the same patient, and the CT was obtained as part of a trauma survey. Of the 64 patients with follow-up, 47 % of patients noted resolution of tinnitus. Patients with pulsatile tinnitus and a history of migraines were more likely to obtain imaging (OR = 8.14, 6.17; p < 0.001, <0.001, respectively). History of sinusitis, head/ear trauma, psychiatric diagnosis, and pulsatile tinnitus was not correlated with new abnormal imaging.

Conclusions: In pediatric patients with isolated tinnitus, imaging very rarely reveals new abnormalities which can impact clinical care. Additional research is needed to optimize resource utilization and identify cohorts of pediatric patients with tinnitus in whom imaging can be deferred.