Ear and audiology: air-bone gap: practice question

A ENT question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

ENT · Ear and audiology: air-bone gap

Sample item

On pure tone audiometry, a patient has bone conduction thresholds of 10 dB across frequencies and air conduction thresholds of 50 dB. What is the likely diagnosis?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Conductive hearing loss

An air-bone gap of more than 10 dB with normal bone conduction indicates a conductive loss. A purely conductive loss cannot exceed about 60 dB because bone conduction by the skull still reaches the cochlea. Closing the gap is the aim of surgery such as stapedotomy.

Option by option

  • A. Conductive hearing loss (correct)

    Correct. Normal bone conduction with a 40 dB gap is conductive loss.

  • B. Mixed hearing loss

    Mixed loss shows a gap and raised bone conduction thresholds.

  • C. Normal hearing

    Air thresholds of 50 dB are not normal.

  • D. Sensorineural hearing loss

    Sensorineural loss shows both air and bone thresholds raised without a gap.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More ENT questions

Questions about this ENT question

What is the answer to this ENT question?

The best answer is A, Conductive hearing loss. An air-bone gap of more than 10 dB with normal bone conduction indicates a conductive loss.

Why is "Mixed hearing loss" not the answer?

Mixed loss shows a gap and raised bone conduction thresholds.

Why is "Normal hearing" not the answer?

Air thresholds of 50 dB are not normal.

Why is "Sensorineural hearing loss" not the answer?

Sensorineural loss shows both air and bone thresholds raised without a gap.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Ear and audiology: air-bone gap in ENT. A purely conductive loss cannot exceed about 60 dB because bone conduction by the skull still reaches the cochlea. Closing the gap is the aim of surgery such as stapedotomy.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Ear and audiology: air-bone gap?

Learn tuning fork results and audiogram patterns by sketching them. Then use the flashcards and the other ENT questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.