A child with an unusually high-level spontaneous otoacoustic emission.

We describe a child who emitted a continuous audible sound from his left ear. A high-level spontaneous otoacoustic emission was measured at the frequency of 5.64 kHz with an amplitude of 55 dB sound pressure level. A high-frequency hearing loss was measured in both ears; however, it was more pronounced in the emitting ear. The emission failed to synchronize to external click stimuli. This spontaneous emission is probably related to a cochlear defect, but it should not contribute additionally to the child's existing auditory impairment.