Conductive hearing loss 

Conductive hearing loss
Classification and external resources
Anatomy of the human ear.
ICD-10 H90.0-H90.2
ICD-9 389.0
DiseasesDB 3043
MeSH D006314

Conductive hearing loss happens when there is a problem conducting sound waves through the outer ear, tympanic membrane (eardrum) or middle ear (ossicles). This type of hearing loss may occur in conjunction with sensorineural hearing loss or alone.

Contents

Causes of conductive hearing loss

External ear

Common

Uncommon

Middle ear

Common

Uncommon

Inner ear

Uncommon

Differentiating conductive and sensorineuronal hearing loss

When a Weber test is carried out, sound localizes to the ear affected by the conductive loss. A Rinne test, in which air conduction is normally greater than bone conduction, is usually negative (abnormal), and shows higher greater bone conduction than air conduction.

Table 1. A table comparing sensorineural hearing loss to conductive

Criteria Sensorineural hearing loss Conductive hearing loss
Anatomical Site Inner ear, cranial nerve VIII, or central processing centers Middle ear (ossicular chain), tympanic membrane, or external ear
Weber Test Sound localizes to normal ear Sound localizes to affected ear (ear with conductive loss)
Rinne Test Positive Rinne; Air conduction > Bone conduction (both air and bone conduction are decreased equally, but the difference between them is unchanged). Negative Rinne; Bone Conduction > Air Conduction (Bone/Air Gap)