A review of current opinion concerning 'auditory neuropathy' is presented. It is suggested that electrophysiological tests, including electrocochleography, auditory brainstem responses and electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses, together with imaging, can provide information regarding the site of the underlying pathological conditions that may produce the combination of otoacoustic emissions in the absence of auditory brainstem responses in children with hearing loss. It is suggested that in 75% of cases auditory neuropathy can merely be a result of surviving outer hair cells when inner hair cell function is compromised. The remaining cases of auditory neuropathy may have dysfunction of the afferent neural synapse, cochlear nerve, cochlear nucleus, auditory brainstem tracts and central auditory system. Rather than continuing to use a blanket and often misleading term, we are now in a better position to describe each individual case exhibiting this phenomenon according to the correct site of lesion. (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.