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Hearing loss in rheumatoid arthritis
V V Raut1, J Cullen, G Cathers
1Department of Otolaryngology, Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Londonderry, United Kingdom.
The Journal of Otolaryngology
|January 5, 2002
Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is commonly associated with sensorineural hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss in RA patients may stem from laxity in the middle ear transducer mechanism.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Rheumatology
- Audiology
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that can affect various organs, including the auditory system.
- Previous reports suggest a link between RA and both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and type of hearing loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
- To identify the underlying causes of conductive hearing loss in RA patients.
Main Methods:
- A prospective case-control study involving 35 RA patients and 35 matched controls.
- Audiometric assessments included pure-tone audiometry, speech discrimination, tympanometry, acoustic reflex, and acoustic reflex decay.
- Statistical analysis utilized F tests and t-tests for independent samples.
Main Results:
- Sensorineural hearing loss was significantly more prevalent in RA patients (60%) compared to controls (34.29%).
- Conductive hearing loss was also more common in RA patients (17.14%) than controls (5.71%).
- Tympanometry suggested middle ear transducer mechanism laxity as the cause of conductive hearing loss.
Conclusions:
- Sensorineural hearing loss is a frequent finding in rheumatoid arthritis.
- Conductive hearing loss is less common but associated with laxity of the middle ear transducer mechanism in RA patients.