Definition

1. Noun:
   • A hereditary disorder of the inner ear: A medical condition characterized by abnormal bone growth in the ossicles (tiny bones) of the middle ear or the bony labyrinth of the inner ear. This abnormal ossification (bone formation) impedes the transmission of sound vibrations, leading to progressive hearing loss and often accompanied by tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The audiologist diagnosed the patient's progressive hearing loss as otosclerosis.
  • A common treatment for otosclerosis is a surgical procedure called a stapedectomy.

Advanced Usage

• "to have otosclerosis": to be affected by the disorder.
  • She has otosclerosis, which runs in her family.
• "otosclerotic changes": referring to the pathological bone growth characteristic of the condition.
  • The CT scan revealed otosclerotic changes in the otic capsule.

Variants and Related Words

• Otosclerotic (adj): Pertaining to or affected by otosclerosis.
  • The surgeon assessed the otosclerotic focus.
• Stapedectomy (n): A surgical operation to treat otosclerosis by removing the stapes bone (one of the ossicles) and replacing it with a prosthesis.

Synonyms

• Otospongiosis: An alternative medical term sometimes used, particularly in earlier stages of the disease when the bone may appear spongy.

Related Phrases

• Conductive hearing loss due to otosclerosis: A phrase specifying the type of hearing impairment caused by the disorder (a problem with sound conduction in the middle ear).
  • The audiogram showed a pattern consistent with conductive hearing loss due to otosclerosis.

Noun

1. hereditary disorder in which ossification of the labyrinth of the inner ear causes tinnitus and eventual deafness