Tonic tensor tympani syndrome explained

Tonic tensor tympani syndrome
Synonyms:	TTTS

Tonic tensor tympani syndrome is a disease of the tensor tympani muscle, described by Klochoff et al. in 1971.^{[1] [2]} It involves a decrease in the contraction threshold of the tensor tympani. This hypercontraction (or spasms) leads to chronic ear pain, in particular in the case of hyperacusis^[3] and acoustic shock.^[4]

Symptoms

Symptoms include a sensation of fullness in the ear, otalgia, tinnitus, dysacusis, tension headache and vertigo.

Notes and References

1. Klockhoff I. Impedance fluctuation and a Tensor Tympani Syndrome. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Acoustic Measurements, Lisbon, 1979:69�76.
2. Klochoff, I. and Westerberg, C.E. The tensor tympani muscle and tension headache. Proceedings, Annual Meeting of Scandinavian Migraine Society "Forskning och Praktik" (Sandoz) Vol. 3, Suppl. 1, 1971
3. Westcott M, Sanchez TG, Diges I, Saba C, Dineen R, McNeill C, Chiam A, O'Keefe M, Sharples T. Tonic tensor tympani syndrome in tinnitus and hyperacusis patients: a multi-clinic prevalence study. Noise Health. 2013 Mar-Apr;15(63):117-28. doi: 10.4103/1463-1741.110295.
4. Westcott M. Acoustic shock injury (ASI). Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 2006 Dec;(556):54-8. Review.