Keywords: hearing loss sensorineural, otitis media, supurative

Abstract: Clinical observations and studies perfomed mainly in the United States have revealed that chronic otitis media with ar without cholesteatoma can cause sensorineural hearing loss in addition to conductive hearing loss in some patients. In order to quantify the clinical observations, the authors study sensorineural loss in patients with chronic otitis media. In the outpatient departament of the Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, were exainined 103 patients with chronic otitis media with or without cholesteatoma presenting with unilateral ar bilateral disease, resulting in a total of 137 ears included in the study. The patients were selecied sequentially excluding those with prior ear surgery. They responded to a bricfstandard questionnaire and underwent pare-tone audiometry. The authors report the incidence of sensorineural hearing loss in this patientgroup, its correlation with chronic otitis media with or without cholesteatoina, with the age and the duration of lhe disease. The study demonstrates significant sensorineural lesions in one or more frequencies in the range from 500 Hz to 3000 Hz. The authors concluee that chronic otitis media may cause sensorineural hearing loss. Therefore, the treatment should begin early in course afilie disease to prevent additional hearing impairment.