Diagnostic Value of Different Types of Tinnitus.

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no external objective noise is present. It is not defined as an illness, but rather a symptom of an underlying process. Although it is a widely prevalent and distressing otologic issue, its pathological mechanism is not entirely known. The present paper aims to discover if tinnitus characteristics can guide us in the diagnosis of the pathology that produces it. This paper uses literature review approach from various publications, including PubMed and The International Tinnitus Journal which include discussed elements related to classification of tinnitus, characteristics of tinnitus, aetiology of different types of tinnitus, and patient's description of tinnitus. The study was conducted between December 2021 and June 2022 and included publications dated from 1992 until 2022. The focus was on the characteristics of tinnitus and their capability to guide the diagnosis process. 30 publications were found suitable for this research and described the proper characteristics of tinnitus and their significance in the diagnosis process. The characteristics of tinnitus do not have the ability to firmly diagnose the pathology which determines tinnitus, yet it may guide the diagnosis.