A 72-year-old man attends the ENT clinic complaining of gradually progressive hearing loss over the past 5 years. He reports being able to hear when someone is speaking but has difficulty understanding what is being said. This is often worse when there is background noise.
Based on the clinical history and audiogram provided, what is the one most likely cause of hearing loss?
- A) Presbycusis
- B) Otosclerosis
- C) Vestibular schwannoma
- D) Sudden sensorineural hearing loss
- E) Noise-induced hearing loss
ASCENT 