[Inner ear hearing loss following blunt head injury (author's transl)].

The pathologenesis of inner ear hearing loss after head injury is not uniform. Recent experimental and clinical findings in ophthalmology, neuropathology and neurosurgery indicate that there is not only a direct mechanical caused damage but as well an indirect injury of the inner ear secondary to disturbances of the cerebral blood supply. These cases representing about 30% of the patients are characterized by fluctuating hearing loss, which may increase of decrease even weeks or months after the incident. To assist inner ear microcirculation after head injury we therefore suggest to try an early treatment with medicaments increasing the cochlear blood flow, provided that the general conditions of the patients tolerate this.