[Hearing loss in multiple sclerosis: clinical, electrophysiologic and radiological study]

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuro-immunology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) presents with diverse clinical symptoms.
• Acute deafness is an infrequently reported symptom in MS.
• Understanding the frequency and prognosis of deafness in MS is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of acute deafness in a cohort of MS patients.
• To evaluate the clinical characteristics and prognosis associated with acute deafness in MS.
• To investigate the potential link between deafness and central nervous system lesions in MS.

Main Methods:

• Systematic observation of acute deafness in 400 consecutive clinically definite MS patients.
• Clinical assessment of deafness occurrence, timing, and association with disease exacerbations.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to identify infratentorial lesions (pons, midbrain).
• Longitudinal follow-up to assess recovery and long-term disease course (EDSS).

Main Results:

• Acute deafness was observed in 14 patients (3.5%) at a mean age of 28 years, occurring 2.3 years after MS diagnosis.
• Deafness was linked to disease exacerbations in most cases, with MRI revealing infratentorial lesions in 11 patients.
• Complete hearing recovery occurred in all but one patient; all remained in the relapsing-remitting MS form with a mean EDSS of 2.4 after 7.2 years of follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Acute deafness affects 3.5% of MS patients, predominantly early in the disease course.
• Deafness in MS is often associated with infratentorial lesions and typically resolves.
• Early-onset deafness in MS may be a favorable prognostic indicator, warranting further investigation in larger cohorts.