High frequency audiometry in tinnitus patients with normal hearing in conventional audiometry

Context Hearing loss is the most important risk factor of tinnitus, but this relation is not straightforward; some patients with severe tinnitus have normal hearing, whereas many patients with hearing loss do not have tinnitus. Aims The aim was to determine if high frequency audiometry (HFA) may reveal significant differences between normal hearing participants with and without tinnitus. Settings and design This is a case–control study. Participants and methods HFA was done on two groups of participants with normal hearing sensitivity. The first group was composed of 20 adults with tinnitus, whereas the control group was 15 age-matched and sex-matched participants, not suffering from tinnitus. Statistical analysis Data were analyzed using SPSS software package version 20.0. Significance of the results was judged at the 5% level. χ 2 with Fisher’s exact as a correction, Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney, and Pearson’s coefficient tests were used. Results HFA showed no significant difference between the two studied groups. Conclusion Tinnitus in normal hearing participants does not necessarily indicate corresponding damage in the cochlea