[The promontory test and electrocochleography in deafness caused by mumps]

Contradictory histological findings in patients with deafness following mumps led us to conduct electrophysiological investigations. Promontory testing (PT) and measurement of cochlear microphonics (CM) enabled us to distinguish between neural and sensory deafness. On the basis of a careful history and serological tests in 19 cases of unilateral deafness we found that the hearing loss was probably caused by mumps. In all patients except one auditory sensations could be obtained by electric stimulation of the acoustic nerve whereas no CM were detectable even with strong stimuli of 100 dB tonepips. In view of the electrophysiological findings, doubt is cast on the neural genesis of deafness following mumps as assumed by Lehnhardt (1962).