Question:
A Female with mild CHL and tinnitus. The PTA is shown. What is the interpretation.
A Female with mild CHL and tinnitus. The PTA is shown. What is the interpretation.
Show Hint
Female + conductive loss + tinnitus + a bone-conduction dip (Carhart's notch) at 2 kHz.
Updated On: Jun 22, 2026
- Otosclerosis
- Meniere's disease
- NIHL
- None
Show Solution
Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Synthesise the clinical clue. A young/middle-aged female with progressive mild conductive hearing loss (CHL) and tinnitus is the textbook presentation of otosclerosis (often worse in pregnancy, with a female predilection).
Step 2: Read the pure-tone audiogram (PTA). The audiogram shows an air-bone gap (air conduction worse than bone conduction) confirming a conductive loss, with the hallmark Carhart's notch - a dip in the bone-conduction threshold of about 15-20 dB maximal around 2000 Hz. This Carhart notch is the classic audiometric sign of otosclerosis caused by altered ossicular (stapes) mechanics.
Step 3: Match to the diagnosis. Female + conductive loss + tinnitus + air-bone gap with a 2 kHz Carhart notch points to otosclerosis. Hence option A is correct.
Step 4: Exclude the distractors.
- Meniere's disease (B): produces a sensorineural (usually low-frequency, fluctuating) loss with vertigo and aural fullness, not a conductive loss with a Carhart notch.
- NIHL - noise-induced hearing loss (C): gives a sensorineural notch at 4000 Hz (not 2000 Hz) with a history of noise exposure, and is conductive only when... it is not - NIHL is sensorineural, so it does not fit a CHL.
- None (D): incorrect, since the clinico-audiometric picture fits otosclerosis well.
Final answer: A. Otosclerosis.
Step 2: Read the pure-tone audiogram (PTA). The audiogram shows an air-bone gap (air conduction worse than bone conduction) confirming a conductive loss, with the hallmark Carhart's notch - a dip in the bone-conduction threshold of about 15-20 dB maximal around 2000 Hz. This Carhart notch is the classic audiometric sign of otosclerosis caused by altered ossicular (stapes) mechanics.
Step 3: Match to the diagnosis. Female + conductive loss + tinnitus + air-bone gap with a 2 kHz Carhart notch points to otosclerosis. Hence option A is correct.
Step 4: Exclude the distractors.
- Meniere's disease (B): produces a sensorineural (usually low-frequency, fluctuating) loss with vertigo and aural fullness, not a conductive loss with a Carhart notch.
- NIHL - noise-induced hearing loss (C): gives a sensorineural notch at 4000 Hz (not 2000 Hz) with a history of noise exposure, and is conductive only when... it is not - NIHL is sensorineural, so it does not fit a CHL.
- None (D): incorrect, since the clinico-audiometric picture fits otosclerosis well.
Final answer: A. Otosclerosis.
Was this answer helpful?
0
0
Top NEET PG ENT Questions
- A 30-year-old male presents with nonaxial proptosis of the left eye. The patient gives a history of a road traffic accident 15 years back. The CT image is given below. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- A 55-year-old patient comes with hoarseness of voice and difficulty swallowing. The patient was diagnosed with laryngeal carcinoma, and surgical management was done. The post-operative image of the patient is given below. Which of the following surgery was done on this patient?
- A female patient with hearing loss is examined and is found to be Rinne negative at 256 Hzand 512 Hz, while Rinne positive at 1024 Hz. What is the expected air conduction and bone conduction gap?
- Identify the structure marked in the image.
- The instrument shown in the image is not used for which of the following?
View More Questions
Top NEET PG Questions
- A patient hailing from Delhi presents with fever, arthralgia, and extensive petechial rash for 3 days. Lab investigations revealed a hemoglobin of 9 g/ dL, a white blood cell count of 9000 cells/mm3, a platelet count of 20000 cells/mm3, and a prolonged bleeding time. The clotting time was normal. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Which of the following statements is true about Trichomonas vaginalis?
- A lady from West Rajasthan presented with an ulcer surrounded by erythema on the right leg. Microscopy of the biopsy from the edge of the ulcer showed organisms with dark staining nuclei and kinetoplast. What is the most likely causative agent?
- A child presents with a fever and a rash. Urine examination showed cells with owl's eye appearance. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Infection with Clonorchis sinensis is associated with an increased risk of__?
View More Questions