Otosclerosis
Pronunciation: oh-toh-skleh-ROH-sis
A pathological condition of abnormal bone remodelling in the otic capsule, most commonly causing progressive conductive or mixed hearing loss through fixation of the stapes footplate.
Full Definition
Otosclerosis involves the replacement of normal bone in the otic capsule with spongy, vascular bone, most critically at the oval window niche, leading to progressive stapes fixation. The audiological hallmark is a low-frequency conductive hearing loss, often accompanied by a characteristic dip in bone-conduction thresholds near 2000 Hz known as the Carhart notch. The condition predominantly affects young to middle-aged adults, is more prevalent in women, and has a recognized familial pattern. Editors should be alert to the common misspelling 'otosclerosis' versus the less frequent but pathologically distinct 'otospongiosis,' which some sources use as a histological synonym.
Usage
Usage note: Editors should not use 'otospongiosis' and 'otosclerosis' interchangeably without guidance from the originating clinician, as some authors reserve the former for the histological entity and the latter for the clinical syndrome.
In Context
- "The audiological profile was consistent with left-sided otosclerosis, featuring a significant low-frequency conductive component." — Otology referral letter
- "Otosclerosis was confirmed at surgery by the observed fixation of the stapes footplate." — Surgical operative report