Clinical Study with Objective Methods in Tinnitus Patients / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tinnitus is the perception of a sound produced involuntarily inside the body. Tinnitus can be divided into two major categories (1) tinnitus generated by para-auditory structure, usually from vascular or myoclonic sources and (2) tinnitus generated by the sensorineural auditory system. With the recent advent of magnetic resonance imaging and auditory brain stem response, it is now possible to diagnose objectively the lesion as causes of intractable tinnitus while they are still quite rare. So, we can consider the surgical treatment on objective causes of tinnitus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors analysed forty patients with tinnitus, who had visited the OPD of our ENT dept. from 1998 April to 1998 September, through history taking, physical examination, many objective auditory tests including auditory brain stem response (ABR) and MRI scan. RESULTS: In ABR test, conduction pathway of BAEP (Brain stem auditory evoked potential) was abnormal in 31 (59.6%) patients. Average latency of I-III, III-V and I-V were 2.29 msec, 1.92 msec and 4.22 msec. The 22 of 31 patients who had abnormal conduction pathway of BAEP showed hearing disturbance. Two patients showing normal conduction pathway of BAEP had hearing disturbance. In MRI scan, abnormal findings were observed only in 13 (25%) patients. CONCLUSION: The use of ABR and MRI to diagnose intractable tinnitus might be valuable in routine tests.