Perception of a passive sound is called tinnitus. Those that can be heard by both the doctor and the patient are also called objective tinnitus, while those that can be heard only by the patient are called subjective tinnitus.
Diagnosis
Diagnostic ideas of tinnitus
What we see clinically
Suspected illnesses
Examination
Subjective tinnitus
Unilateral tinnitus with sensorineural deafness
Auditory neuroma, meningioma, multiple sclerosis, stroke, etc.
Hearing tests, enhanced brain MRI
Tinnitus with personality disorder or neurological deficit
Stroke
Brain MRI
Episodic low-pitched tinnitus with vertigo and low-frequency hearing loss
Meniere’s disease
Hearing tests, vestibular function tests, exclusion of auditory neuroma
Tinnitus after febrile illness
Aspirin toxicity
Clinical examination
Bilateral tinnitus, history of drug use, with hearing loss and vestibular damage
Medications (aminoglycosides, loop diuretics, chemotherapy drugs, etc.)
Clinical examination
History of infection, ear pain, headache, ear water
Otitis media, labyrinthitis, meningitis, neurosyphilis, etc.
Clinical examination
Objective tinnitus
Unilateral persistent rhythmic tinnitus with vascular murmur in the head
Dural AVM
Peri-auricular auscultation, angiography
Irregular “clicking” sounds, mechanical sounds
Myoclonus (soft palate myoclonus, tympanic tensor, stapedius muscle)
MRI
Neck murmur or blood flow sound
Carotid artery vortex or jugular venous flow
Auscultation, clinical examination
Unilateral persistent rhythmic tinnitus, may be accompanied by an auscultatory murmur in the ear
Vascular middle ear tumors (tympanic bulb, jugular bulb, etc.)
CT, MRI, angiography