Premium
What is the role of imaging in tinnitus?
Author(s) -
Sajisevi Mirabelle,
Weissman Jane L.,
Kaylie David M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.24147
Subject(s) - tinnitus , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , abnormality , audiology , radiology , medical history , population , psychiatry , environmental health
BACKGROUND Tinnitus is the perception of an auditory sensation in the absence of external stimuli. It affects up to 10% of the population and often brings patients to the attention of otolaryngologists. There are many benign causes of tinnitus, and serious underlying causes must be ruled out.Tinnitus can be categorized as subjective versus objective and pulsatile versus nonpulsatile. These distinctions, along with a detailed clinical history and neurotologic examination, help guide selection of further studies. Imaging is performed for patients believed to have a high probability of detecting a radiologic abnormality or a potential for a serious underlying condition. The ideal imaging modality should be one that is able to evaluate for the greatest number of etiologies with the lowest cost. In this Best Practice review, we examine the role of the various imaging modalities in the diagnosis of pulsatile and nonpulsatile tinnitus.