Inner ear hearing loss in acute and chronic otitis media.

Temporary or permanent threshold shift of bone conduction occurs frequently in acute or chronic otitis media. The sensorineural hearing loss is dependent on the age of the patient and the duration of the illness. Fluid in the middle ear may impede sound transmission and oxygen transport to the inner ear. In middle ear inflammation noxious substances may pass across the round window membrane leading to serous labyrinthitis. In therapy ototoxic drugs and operations (tympanoplasty) can cause sensorineural deafness.