Turkish Archives of Otorhinolaryngology (Dec 2003)
The Results of Treatment in Sudden Hearing Loss: Six Years’ Experience and the Relation between Odiologic Findings and Prognosis
Abstract
Objectives:To observe the etiologic factors and results with hospitalized-patients diagnosed with sudden hearing loss and to investigate the relation between odiologic findings and prognosis.Materials and Methods:Forty-three hospitalized-patients diagnosed with sudden hearing loss were retrospectively observed at our clinic during 1993-1999. Clinical examination, lab analysis, full audiological analysis and Magnetic Resonance Imaging were performed on these patients. The patients admitted for five days were administered steroids, pentoxiphylline, dextran 40, salt–restricted diet and sedatives. Two patients underwent middle ear exploration. The patients had audiogram performed on the 5th day of treatment and on the 10th day after their discharge from the hospital.Results:The mean age of patients were 44 and the mean covering the start of disease was found to be 5 days. When the patient history was being reviewed, hypertension (21%) and diabetes (16%) were found to be the frequent accompanying diseases. On the other hand when observed clinically, tinnitus (88%) and vertigo (46%) were found to be the accompanying symptoms. Etiology was found to be vascular in 15 patients (35%), viral in 10 patients (23%) whereas barotrauma was detected in 2 patients (4%), and acustic neuroma in one patient (2%). Etiology was unknown in 15 patients (35%). Forty-one patients had unilateral, 2 patients had bilateral sudden hearing loss. The mean hearing level was found to be 75 dB before treatment in ears with hearing loss. The mean hearing level was found to be 55 dB on the 10th day after their discharge from the hospital. An inverse relation was observed between the amount of hearing loss, the amplitude of frequencies and the posttreatment benefit.Conclusion:Vascular and viral reasons were found to be predominant in the sudden hearing loss. The five days treatment plan consisting of steroid, pentoxiphylline and dextran 40 proved to be effective at speech frequencies especially below 60 dB and the poor prognosis was observed at high frequency losses.
