[Cochlear ischemia: from fundamental data to clinical hope]

To report the known data on the functional consequences of cochlear ischemia and the tools available to detect them.Review of the main integrated in vivo models described in mammals.The main integrated models of cochlear ischemia use laser doppler velocimetry to measure the degree of ischemia. Cochlear function can be effectively monitored during cochlear ischemia through the cochlear potentials and otoacoustic emissions, each of these signals giving specific information. The cochlea appears to be particularly resistant to several minutes of reversible ischemia. Indirect monitoring of cochlear ischemia can be achieved through distortion-product otoacoustic emissions during surgical procedures to the cerebellopontine angle. It is still impossible to directly and noninvasively detect cochlear ischemia in nonsurgical clinical practice.Integrated models of cochlear ischemia have contributed greatly to our knowledge of the functional behavior of the cochlea in this specific situation. Clinical practice now needs to be able to detect cochlear ischemia early and noninvasively, for example in cases of sudden hearing loss.