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Sudden deafness: long-term follow-up and recurrence
A Furuhashi1, K Matsuda, K Asahi
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. atfuru@tsuru.med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Clinical Otolaryngology and Allied Sciences
|December 11, 2002
Summary
Recurrence of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (sudden deafness) is rare. A study of 1,798 patients found very few instances of hearing loss returning in the same or opposite ear over the long term.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Audiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), or sudden deafness, is a common otolaryngologic emergency.
- Understanding the long-term outcomes and recurrence rates of ISSNHL is crucial for patient management and prognosis.
- This study investigates the long-term incidence of ISSNHL recurrence in a large patient cohort.
Observation:
- A cohort of 1,798 patients diagnosed with unilateral sudden deafness within two weeks of onset were analyzed.
- Only 14 patients reported a prior diagnosis of sudden deafness.
- Follow-up included long-term hearing examinations for a subset of patients (88) over 10 years post-event.
Findings:
- The overall recurrence rate of sudden deafness in the ipsilateral ear was low.
- Contralateral ear sudden deafness also occurred infrequently.
- Specifically, among 88 patients with over 10 years of follow-up, only one experienced ipsilateral recurrence and one experienced contralateral sudden deafness.
Implications:
- The findings suggest that recurrent episodes of sudden deafness are uncommon in patients with idiopathic ISSNHL.
- This information can help manage patient expectations and inform clinical counseling regarding prognosis.
- Further research could explore specific risk factors or protective mechanisms against ISSNHL recurrence.