Auditory function in raised intracranial pressure

A battery of tests of auditory function were administered to 138 patients with proved raised intracranial pressure. A varying degree of impairment of auditory function was observed in 81.5% of the cases. In the majority of cases (60%), it was mild. The pattern of hearing loss suggested a conductive, end-organ, first-neuron or nuclear and supranuclear lesion in 22.5, 22.5, 6.5, and 21% of the cases, respectively. Some degree of improvement in hearing was observed in 71.5% of the cases following relief of the raised intracranial pressure, though improvement of more than 20 dB was seen in only 12.7%. The most common type of case demonstrating hearing improvement after such relief was one demonstrating a hearing loss of 30 dB, 10 to 15 dB air-bone gap, with positive or suspected recruitment and negative tone decay.