title: [Auditory Neuropathy: Clinical Evaluation and Diagnostic Approach].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Auditory neuropathy is a condition in which there is a change in the neuronal transmission of the auditory stimuli. Our objective was to describe the patients' series within the clinical spectrum of auditory neuropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a transversal, retrospective study, with a description of a consecutive case series. Auditory neuropathy was defined by the presence of acoustic otoemissions plus absent/abnormal auditory brainstem responses with cochlear microphonism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  34 patients with bilateral hearing loss, 23 males and 11 females, were included in the study. Eighty percent of the cases had congenital onset of hearing loss. Acoustic otoemissions were absent in 67% of them. Cochlear microfonism was present in 79% of all cases. Prenatal, perinatal or ambiental factors were present in 35.2% of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medical literature shows great variability in findings related to auditory neuropathy, both in its etiology and epidemiological data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Auditory neuropathy presents a broad spectrum of changes that may result from mild to severe changes in the functioning of the auditory pathway, and in our sample we observed that 80% of Auditory neuropathy have congenital onset of hearing loss and/or with cochlear microphonism identified. 91% of patients experience significant hearing impairment and 53% suffer from severe or profound deafness.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia do Ouvido, Nariz, Garganta e Cabeça & Pescoço. Universidade de Campinas. São Paulo.
authors.forename: Guilherme Machado
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina. Universidade do Minho. Braga. Portugal.
authors.forename: Beatriz Prista
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Leão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia do Ouvido, Nariz, Garganta e Cabeça & Pescoço. Universidade de Campinas. São Paulo Brazil.
authors.forename: Priscila Zonzini
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia do Ouvido, Nariz, Garganta e Cabeça & Pescoço. Universidade de Campinas. São Paulo Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre Caixeta
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia do Ouvido, Nariz, Garganta e Cabeça & Pescoço. Universidade de Campinas. São Paulo. Brazil.
authors.forename: Arthur Menino
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Castilho
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética Molecular. Centro de Biologia Molecular e Engenharia Genética. Universidade de Campinas. São Paulo. Brazil.
authors.forename: Edi Lúcia
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Sartorato
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003939:Diagnostic Techniques, Otological; D005260:Female; D006313:Hearing Loss, Central / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies