Objective: To review the profile and outcome data on a large series of patients presenting with unilateral tinnitus and try to establish diagnostic algorithm for them.
Study Design: Retrospective cases and data base review.
Subjects and Methods: 416 patients presented to Sohag University hospitals, Audiology and Balance Unit from January 2005 to August 2010. All patients were complaining of unilateral tinnitus of variable duration. The data reviewed were complete E.N.T examination, basic audiologic evaluation, detailed history of tinnitus, tinnitus matching tests and different investigations according to individual cases as complete blood count (CBC), fiber optic nasopharyngeal examination, Otoacoustic emission (OAE), Auditory brain stem response (ABR ) Electrochocleography (EchoG), Vestibulonystagmography (VNG) and plain X-ray for cervical spines.
Results: unilateral tinnitus is a very common problem. It usually related to serious medical disorders. The most two common causes were unknown etiology in 68 patients (16.3%) and retro cochlear lesions in 64 patients (15.4%). The most two common presentations of hearing were normal hearing in 84 patients (20.1%) and moderate SNHL in 72 patients (17.3%). ABR was the main investigation done for 105 patients, followed by MRI for 85 patients.