[Round window membrane pathology in sudden deafness (author's transl)].

Exploration of the middle ear was performed on 15 patients with sudden deafness that had failed to improve after intravenous infusion of Eupaverin and Rheomacrodex. Three patients had abnormalities of the round window membrane, in 2 there was a perilymphatic fistula and in 1 an abnormal bulging of the membrane with no transmission of perilymphatic fluid movement. These 3 patients presented with a history of exertion or stress prior to the onset of symptoms. Surgical closure ofthe 2 fistulae led to improvement of hearing, and perilymphatic decompression in the third patient improved the tinnitus but not the deafness. The possible causes of round window pathology are discussed.