Sofia profile plot: a new graphical approach to present the changes of hearing thresholds with time.

摘要

After pure-tone audiometry, we have several sequences of threshold values. Usually, a multiple-line plot is used to present and compare data between measurements by overlaying them in a single graph. Calculation of air-bone gap and pure-tone average is widely accepted as an approach to simplify statistical handling of these data. The aim of this report was to introduce the Sofia profile plot using as examples different otosclerotic cases. This plot provides a simple way to visually present several pre- and postoperative hearing thresholds. Individual data points (pure-tone average and some other thresholds) are presented by marks in two-dimensional space. The vertical axis represents the time line and starts with the first threshold evaluation. The horizontal scale is used to mark hearing levels in decibels -- the right ear on the left of the vertical axis and the left ear on the right. The Sofia profile plot was developed especially for otosclerotic patients and permits the unambiguous marking of the onset of any individual unilateral or bilateral event (e.g. operation, revision, tinnitus) and thus to visually inspect its impact on hearing levels.