[High-frequency audiometry: hearing thresholds in normal ears]

High tone audiometry is an audiometric test serviceable in order to discover with precocity conditions affecting first the basal cochlear turn, as in ototoxicity occurs. Despite its increasing diffusion there are not fixed values allowing the use of a HL decibels scale generally introduced, like the adopted for low tone frequencies. This is partly due to difficulties for gauging several devices employed. Besides the age has an important influence in hearing of high tones and as a result the valutations given by distinct AA., disagree among them and each laboratory must establish their normal values grouped according to ages. However the knowledge of these figures is useful because they get a referent when one looks through the literature. This paper reflect our experience with normal population after being realized a brief medical history including an otoscopy and a diagnostic audiometry with the aim to eliminate possible otological pathology undiagnosed. Our results are compared with those of other authors.