[Deafness of infectious origin].

A large number of cases of deafness is due to infection. Both viral and bacterial agents can induce lesions of the middle ear, the inner ear and/or of the cochlear-vestibular nerve. The ear is reached through the Eustachian tube, the outer ear or the subarachnoid spaces. The characteristics of infection-induced hearing loss depend on the infectious agent and on the site of infection. We discuss successively the characteristics of deafness caused by infection of the middle ear, represented by acute and chronic otitis of common or mycobacterial origin, by infection of the inner ear with bacterial labyrinthitis and otosyphilis, and lastly, neurolabyrinthitis of viral origin or due to Lyme disease.