Which feature of audiograms is limited when assessing the "site of lesion"?

When assessing the "site of lesion," audiograms are restricted in that they do not explain causative factors of hearing loss. Although audiograms are effective tools for identifying hearing thresholds, they present results that reflect a person's ability to hear at various frequencies, which does not directly indicate why a person is experiencing hearing loss.

The "site of lesion" refers to pinpointing the specific location within the auditory system that may be contributing to hearing difficulties, such as whether the issue lies in the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, or auditory pathways to the brain. While audiograms can suggest a pattern of hearing loss that might imply a certain type of pathology, they fall short of clarifying the underlying cause, such as whether it is due to an acoustic neuroma, otosclerosis, or another factor.

In clinical practice, additional assessments and diagnostic tools are typically needed to investigate further and determine the exact nature of the hearing disorder, which can include imaging studies, tympanometry, or auditory brainstem response tests, addressing the gaps behind what is shown in the audiogram.