The authors evaluated findings of evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) in 27 patients with organic and inorganic retrocochlear hearing disorders. The retrocochlear lesion was diagno- sed electrophysiologically (BERA) and/or by means of CT/NMR examination implemented in all patients of the group. Positive EOAE were found in 16 patients (59 %) independent on the hearing loss. In seven patients of the group (44 %) an organic process in the internal auditory meatus or posterior cranial fossa was involved (5 times a neurinoma of the acoustic nerve, once a congenital cholesteatoma and once congenital malformation of the cerebellum). In one female patient probably an attack of demyelinating disease of the multiple sclerosis type was involved. In the remaining eight cases CT/NMR were negative. In the group of 11 subjects where EOAE could not be obtained in two patients neurinomas of the acoustic nerve were found (18 %), in the remainder CT/NMR were negative. In three patients with retrocochlear pathology (once CT/NMR negative, once a demyeli- nating process, once a neurinoma of the acoustic nerve) and elicited EOAE the authors observed spontaneous significant improvement of hearing or restoration to normal. In the remaining patients hearing did not improve. In six patients examinations of contralateral acoustic suppression of EOAE was made. Reduction or disappearance of contralateral acoustic suppression of EOAE on the side of the retrocochlear disorder could not be confirmed in six examined patients. The authors consider EOAE examination in retrocochlear hearing disorders a useful and simple test which may be related to the prognosis and selected therapy. It was not found however that supplementation of audiolo- gical tests by EOAE extends the possibilities of audiology as regards differentiation of tumourous and non-tumourous etiology of retrocochlear hearing disorders. The usefulness of tests of contrala- teral EOAE suppression in retrocochlear lesions remains the subject of clinical research.

        Key words: otoacoustic emissions, retrocochlear pathology, neurinoma of the acoustic nerve.