What Causes Tinnitus in Patients with Long Auricular Appendages?

Longfu’er is not a recognized medical term in otology or audiology. There is no established clinical condition, anatomical structure, or syndrome by this name in international medical literature, including the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery guidelines, or peer-reviewed journals indexed in PubMed or Embase.

The term appears to be a phonetic transliteration—possibly from Mandarin—but lacks standardized definition, diagnostic criteria, or pathophysiological basis in evidence-based medicine. It does not correspond to any known cause of tinnitus, such as sensorineural hearing loss, noise-induced cochlear damage, vestibular schwannoma, presbycusis, otosclerosis, or central auditory pathway dysfunction.

Clinicians evaluating patients with tinnitus follow standardized protocols: comprehensive audiometry, tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions testing, and, when indicated, high-resolution MRI of the internal auditory canals. No validated diagnostic test or therapeutic intervention exists for “Longfu’er,” as it is not an accepted entity in contemporary otolaryngology.

Patients experiencing persistent or bothersome tinnitus should consult a board-certified otolaryngologist or audiologist for evidence-based assessment and management—including sound therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or hearing aid amplification where appropriate. Relying on nonstandardized terminology may delay accurate diagnosis and effective care.