A number of conditions may be associated with pulsatile tinnitus.
Pulsatile tinnitus: abnormal perception of a rhythmic sound without an extracorporeal source
Neoplasms associated with pulsatile tinnitus:
(1) paraganglioma
(2) schwannoma
(3) skull base meningioma
(4) endolymphatic sac neoplasm
(5) skull base vascular metastasis
Vascular lesions associated with pulsatile tinnitus:
(1) idiopathic intracranial hypertension
(2) dural venous sinus stenosis
(3) jugular vein stenosis
(4) dural venous sinus diverticulum
(5) jugular bulb diverticulum
(6) high-riding jugular bulb
(7) arteriovenous malformation (dural, other)
(8) carotid-cavernous sinus fistula
(9) aneurysm
(10) arterial dissection
(11) fibromuscular dysplasia
(12) carotid stenosis
(13) aberrant arterial course
(14) dolichoectasia
Temporal bone lesions associated with pulsatile tinnitus:
(1) dehiscence of the semicircular canal
(2) dehiscence of the sigmoid plate
(3) dehiscence of the carotid canal
(4) otospongiosis
Miscellaneous causes:
(1) ototoxic drugs (cisplatin, aminoglycosides, etc)
(2) vitamin B6 overdose
(3) myoclonus of the tensor tympani, stapedius or soft palate
(4) high cardiac output (hyperthyroidism, anemia, valvular heart disease)
