[The diagnosis and therapy of tinnitus]

Selection criteria for the therapeutic strategy are provided by a classification on the basis of the following points: 1. can be masked by a sound, 2. response to parenteral lidocaine. This classification was used to treat 119 patients with tinnitus. Masking is the first therapy for tinnitus. If masking had no effect, lidocaine test were undergone. The patient who has a positive response to lidocaine were treated by antiepileptic drugs. Patients with negative response to lidocaine negative were treated by suppressant. The prognosis for patients with positive masking effect was more better than the negative one. The mechanisms of tinnitus were discussed.