[Audiological assessment in 88 patients with otosclerosis]

To analyze the clinical data of the hearing in otosclerosis patients and explore their association with the clinical manifestations.

A retrospective analysis of 88 otosclerosis cases (162 ears) was performed. Pure tone audiometry was performed in all the cases 1 to 3 days before the operation for speech analysis at the frequencies of 500, 1 k, 2 kHz and to determined the average pure-tone hearing threshold (PTA) and gas Bone gap (ABG). The incidence of carhart notch was observed in patients with simple conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing loss, and in the early, middle and late stage of otosclerosis.

Carhart notch occurred at significant higher incidence in patients with simple conductive hearing loss and in early otosclerosis (P<0.05).

For common otosclerosis, the lesion invades initially the vestibular window, round ligament and stapes floor, followed by the base of the cochlea, and therefore observation of the carhart notch may help determine the disease course.