Tinnitus is a common problem with significant consequences for patients' well-being and considerable costs for society. A less common, specific form of tinnitus is pulsatile tinnitus, where the sound synchronizes with the heartbeat. Patients often describe this sound as hissing, thumping, or similar to the sound produced by an ultrasound device. Pulsatile tinnitus is caused by abnormalities in blood flow around the ear or in the bone structure between blood vessels and the ear. These causes are typically identified through medical imaging, but multiple imaging techniques are often needed to pinpoint the exact cause.
An important characteristic of pulsatile tinnitus is that it can be perceived by a physician through auscultation (listening with a stethoscope). When a physician detects a pulsatile sound, this is referred to as objective pulsatile tinnitus. This detection helps guide the choice of further imaging, but it has limitations, such as the sensitivity of the ear and the physician's experience.
This dissertation of Sander Ubbink examines the added value of using microphone recordings in the ear canal to measure and analyze pulsatile tinnitus. The study shows that sound recordings are a valuable addition to the diagnostic process for pulsatile tinnitus and are more effective than auscultation. Sound recordings help reduce the need for invasive imaging procedures, such as digital subtraction angiography (DSA), in patients with pulsatile tinnitus.
Integrating sound recordings into the care pathway can lead to less invasive and more cost-effective diagnostics. Further development of this technology can provide better support for patients with pulsatile tinnitus.
