Objective: To establish the origin of tinnitus in patients with otosclerosis.
Methodology: We performed a literature review to identify the characteristics of tinnitus in the general population and among patients with otosclerosis.
Results: Characteristics of tinnitus among patients with otosclerosis differ from those among the general population, suggesting mechanisms other than those implicated in presbycusis. Considerable improvements in the prevalence of tinnitus following corrective surgery demonstrate the limited contribution of diffuse labyrinth lesions. Middle ear and possibly secondary inner ear dysfunction produced by stapes blockage appear to be major etiopathogenic factors in the development of tinnitus in patients with otosclerosis.
Conclusion: The conductive hearing deprivation produced by otosclerosis is associated with limited and reversible modifications in the central auditory pathway that are linked to tinnitus.