Tinnitus and otosclerosis

Fifty patients with otosclerosis and tinnitus were studied for the course o f the tinnitus after stapes surgery. Tinnitus disappeared in 64% of the cas es, improved in 16%. was unchanged in 14%, and worsened in 6%. The reductio n in tinnitus was more favorable after a small fenestra stapedotomy than af ter a partial stapedectomy with removal of the posterior half of the footpl ate. An unfavorable postoperative course of tinnitus did not appear to be l inked to the postoperative audiometric result. In our study the subjective evaluation of pitch and loudness of the tinnitus did not provide significan t information regarding its prognosis.