[Conduction deafness in adults. Diagnostic elements and therapeutic principles]

In the vast majority of cases, conduction deafness is due to a lesion of the eardrum-ossicles system located in the middle ear. The diagnosis, relatively easy, rests on the results of acoumetry (performed with a tuning-fork), audiometry and acoustic impedance measurement. The causes of conduction deafness are multiple and can be divided into 5 categories: major or minor malformations, injuries, tumours, otospongiosis and chronic otitis media. The last two named are the most frequent and must be considered first. Otospongiosis is the most common cause of conduction deafness with healthy typanic membrane. Kophosurgery usually triumphs in this field, even though occasional incidents or accidents must be deplored. Chronic otitis media has different forms and usually succeeds to an inflammatory disease of childhood: serous otitis which is the most obvious common factor in all forms. Despite its apparent complexity, otitis media can be diagnosed by the general practitioner. Although kophosurgery has made remarkable advances, surgical treatment is not always required.