Which of the following is a known etiology of sensorineural hearing loss?

• A. CN VIII injury
• B. Otitis media
• C. Hearing loss due to cerumen impaction
• D. Ototoxic drugs

Answer: (D)

Sensorineural hearing loss results from damage to the inner ear structures or the auditory nerve. Ototoxic drugs are a well-established cause because certain medications directly injure cochlear hair cells or the eighth cranial nerve pathways. This damage is often dose-related and typically starts with high-frequency hearing loss, which may become permanent if exposure continues. In contrast, problems like cerumen impaction or otitis media affect the outer or middle ear and cause conductive hearing loss, not SNHL. While CN VIII injury can also produce sensorineural loss, ototoxic medications are the classic, widely recognized etiology clinicians monitor for and manage by adjusting treatment when possible.