Tinnitus is one of the most common complaints in medical practice. The venous hum is described as an uncommon cause of vascular tinnitus, seldom remembered or recognized as a clinical entity. AIM: The aim of this paper is to identify the venous hum cases at Tinnitus Ambulatory at UNIFESP-EPM and compare them to literature. MATERIAL AND METHOD: retrospective research of venous hum cases identified at UNIFESP-EPM from April 1997 to April 2003, analyzing the following parameters: age of appearance, frequency, affected side, presence of associated hearing loss and dizziness, improvement and worsening factors, audiometry results, vestibular exam and computadorized tomography of temporal bones, evolution and treatment performed. RESULTS: pulsative tinnitus happened in 7,5% and venous hum in 3% of total cases of the patients with tinnitus, all in women, with no preference for age of appearance, most common at left ear. All patients have improved with clinical treatment and surgery was not needed in any case. CONCLUSION: The venous hum is not an uncommon cause of tinnitus (39% of pulsative tinnitus) as described in literature. Treatment should be performed by acting in responsible and decurrente factors caused by tinnitus. In great number of cases venous hum spontaneously disappears, needing no treatment. Surgical treatment is rarely indicated and must be reserved only in cases with no improvement with clinical treatment.
tinnitus; pulsative; venous hum