Head trauma: single-notch and double-notch audiograms

Single-notch and double-notch sensorineural hearing losses were observed in 27 adult patients. All patients denied having a history of noise exposure, but did report at least one episode of hear trauma. Generally, the laterality and degree of hearing loss did not appear to correlate well with severity and site of head trauma, or post-traumatic symptoms. Although not all individuals suffering head trauma will yield notch audiograms, when an audiometric notch is observed the possibility of head trauma as well as other factors should be explored in the patient's history.