A teenage girl presents for evaluation of hearing loss in her tight ear. She has a history of at least 12 episodes of otitis media as a child, at least one time she perforated her eardrum. Her hearing loss is most likely due to

Options

A. Conductive deafness
B. Sensorineural deafness
C. Central deafness
D. Tinnitus

Answer

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Patient's Condition**: The teenage girl has a history of hearing loss in her right ear, along with a significant medical history of at least 12 episodes of otitis media (middle ear infections) during childhood. She also experienced at least one episode of eardrum perforation.

2. **Defining Otitis Media**: Otitis media is an infection or inflammation of the middle ear. It can lead to various complications, including fluid accumulation and damage to the eardrum.

3. **Identifying the Types of Hearing Loss**:
- **Conductive Deafness**: This occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the tiny bones of the middle ear. It can result from damage to any of the anatomical structures involved in hearing.
- **Sensorineural Deafness**: This type of hearing loss is due to problems in the inner ear or the auditory nerve. It is often permanent and can result from damage to the hair cells in the cochlea or the auditory nerve itself.
- **Central Deafness**: This type results from defects in the central nervous system, affecting the brain's ability to process sound.
- **Tinnitus**: This is not a type of hearing loss but rather a perception of noise or ringing in the ears.

4. **Analyzing the Patient's History**: Given that the girl has a history of multiple episodes of otitis media and a perforated eardrum, it is likely that there has been damage to the anatomical structures of her ear, particularly in the middle ear.

5. **Conclusion**: Based on the information provided and the definitions of the types of hearing loss, the most likely cause of the teenage girl's hearing loss is **conductive deafness**. This is due to the damage caused by repeated otitis media and the perforation of the eardrum, which affects the conduction of sound.

### Final Answer:
The hearing loss is most likely due to **conductive deafness**.

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