Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Stapedial Otosclerosis

Controversy exists as to whether individuals with stapedial otosclerosis have elevated bone conduction thresholds due to cochlear involvement by the focus. A comparison was made between the Carhart-corrected bone conduction thresholds in 45 unoperated, non-noise-exposed individuals with stapedial otosclerosis and the thresholds in a matched random sample of the population with no conductive hearing loss. No consistent, significant difference was discerned. It is considered that individuals with stapedial otosclerosis do not in general have elevated bone conduction thresholds compared with control subjects. However, there was a suggestion that there may be a small, progressive elevation of bone conduction thresholds in older patients.