Effects on hearing and tinnitus following Dupilumab treatment of severe asthma with chronic rhinosinusitis - a case report

Abstract

Background: Dupilumab (anti-IL-4R) is a novel biological agent approved for treatment of severe asthma with chronic rhinosinusitis. Beneficial effects on hearing have only been sparsely decribed. Case presentation: In this case story we present a 48-year woman, who experienced remarkably improved hearing and reduction of tinnitus after initiation of Dupilumab. Progress was monitored by respiratory physicians in collaboration with rhinologists and audiologists. SNOT-22 score improved from 83 to 27 and audiograms obtained before and during treatment illustrate a reduced air-bone gap and an improvement of speech recognition threshold from 25 dB (both ears) to 15 and 10 (left and right ear respectively). Conclusions: This case story implies a beneficial effect of Dupilumab treatment in patients with united airway disease with hearing impairment. The authors suggest an additional otological perspective in addition to standard monitoring.

Keywords

• dupilumab
• anti-il-4r
• hearing
• eosinophilic otitis media
• chronic rhinosinusitis