[Particularities of hearing disorders in inhabitants of Mali].

Audiologic examinations of the Mali people showed that neurosensory hypoacusis was the most common hearing problem, the incidence of which tended to increase. Altogether 147 patients (or 294 ears), aged 10 to 60 years, were examined, the duration of their hearing impairment varying from 1 month to 20 years. In terms of the pathological causes, all the patients were divided into 3 groups: 1) ototoxic antibiotics and quinine, 2) cerebrospinal meningitis, and 3) infectious disease. The patients underwent tonal threshold, suprathreshold and speech audiometry and showed impairment of primarily peripheral type. The prevalence of this type of pathology is indirect evidence that in this country the incidence of vascular pathologies is low and that prophylaxis of infectious diseases is necessary.