[Differential diagnosis of hearing disorders]

Hearing impairment is considered as the most common impairment of a human sense system. According to WHO, 360 Million people worldwide were affected by hearing loss in 2012, out of which 91% were adults and 9% children.Hearing impairment can be triggered by various mechanisms, such as locally destructive processes (chronic otitis media, cholesteatoma or traumatic lesions) or systemic influences like infectious or ototoxic substances (measles, mumps, meningococcal meningitis or medication and industrial agents). Congenital dysplasia, perinatal complications and genetic modifications can lead to hearing loss as well. Moreover, the acute or chronic noise exposure associated with the changing spare time activities in industrial nations represents an increasingly significant source of hearing impairment. In order to achieve the best hearing rehabilita-tion, a specific differential diagnosis in each case is of significant importance.