Sudden hearing loss in the elderly.

In elderly subjects suffering from presbycusis a clinical picture of sudden hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo may be precipitated by a superimposed serous otitis media. Such an abrupt and dramatic sensory deficiency may be erroneously ascribed to an acute cochlear lesion and given grave prognostication. This situation was observed in 12 patients during a period of 2 years. Appropriate diagnostic evaluation revealed the true nature of the disease and simple therapeutic measures promptly restored the auditory function to its previous level.