Tinnitus aurium: an approach to classification.

Tinnitus aurium is the single term used by professionals to describe a multiplicity of auditory experiences. An attempt to correlate tinnitus pitch, loudness, and spectral composition (noise vs pure tone) with audiometric data and subjective impressions is described, and a process for classifying tinnitus is presented. Preliminary results of tests on 40 patients are discussed and certain tendencies noted. The author recommends that all professionals obtain more complete information about their patients' tinnitus.