Aural Rehabilitation Exam 2 Practice Test

A perforation or a patent grommet creates an open connection between the ear canal and the middle ear, so the ear canal volume measured during tympanometry is larger than normal (over about 1.5 mL) and there’s no sealed air space to generate a peak in compliance. This produces a flat, no-peak tympanogram with a large ear canal volume, which is the hallmark of a perforation or a patent tympanostomy tube. Other patterns would show a peak (even if reduced or exaggerated) or normal volume, so they don’t match this combination.