Clinical performance of audiology diagnostic tests
The value of the information content in a complete diagnostic evaluation lies in the ability to differentiate and diagnosis a hearing loss. The amount of diagnostic information contained in the assessment will increase the probability of an accurate diagnosis. The analysis of a comprehensive diagnostic based test battery designed to differentiate cochlear from retrocochlear site-of-lesion will guide clinical decision and care pathway to diagnose auditory disorders, otologic diseases, and vestibular dysfunction.
Some common diagnosis are:
- Exposure to loud noise
- Head trauma
- Virus or disease
- Autoimmune inner ear disease
- Hearing loss that runs in the family
- Aging (presbycusis)
- Malformation of the inner ear
- Meniere’s Disease
- Otosclerosis - a hereditary disorder in which a bony growth forms around a small bone in the middle ear, preventing it from vibrating when stimulated by sound.
- Tumors
- Perilymph fistula
- Acoustic Neuroma
- Malformation of outer ear, ear canal, or middle ear structures
- Fluid in the middle ear from colds
- Ear infection (otitis media - an infection of the middle ear in which an accumulation of fluid may interfere with the movement of the eardrum and ossicles
- Poor Eustachian tube function
- Perforated eardrum
- Benign tumors
- Impacted earwax
- Infection in the ear canal
- Foreign body in the ear
