The International Tinnitus Journal

Otosclerosis in Iraq - is it rare disease?

Background: A common form of conductive hearing loss in adults is otosclerosis in otosclerosis there is deposition of new spongy bone in the footplate of stapes and it is more common in females and it is presented mainly with hearing loss, although tinnitus and vertigo may occur. Objectives: Early detection of the disease to improve the patient disability and prevent its progression and, Highlight that otosclerosis is not a rare disease in Iraq. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out between 2019-2022 in private center of hearing and balance in Baghdad including persons who presented with hearing loss and their ages were above 20. Results: There are 8683 persons included in the study, 52 of them were diagnosed with bilateral otosclerosis with prevalence of 0.56 for each 100 patients. Conclusion: 1. Otosclerosis is not rare disease in Iraq. 2. Most cases presented with moderate conductive hearing loss 3. Any patient presents with conductive hearing loss should be subjected to further audiological and radiological investigations. 4. Further measures are needed to educate the population about the disease to discover it early