Behçet's disease and hearing loss

Area of Science:

• Otorhinolaryngology
• Rheumatology
• Genetics

Background:

• Behçet's disease is a multisystem inflammatory disorder.
• Hearing loss is a potential complication of Behçet's disease.
• The incidence and frequency-specific patterns of hearing loss in Behçet's disease are not well-characterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence and severity of hearing loss in different frequencies among Behçet's disease patients.
• To compare hearing thresholds in Behçet's disease patients with a healthy control group.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 63 Behçet's disease patients and 63 healthy controls.
• Comprehensive neuro-otological, ophthalmologic, and dermatologic examinations were performed.
• Audiometric pure-tone thresholds were measured across a range of frequencies (125-8000 Hz).

Main Results:

• 55% of Behçet's patients exhibited hearing loss (≥30 dB HL).
• Hearing loss was more prevalent in higher frequencies (6 and 8 kHz) (68%) compared to speech frequencies (500-2000 Hz) (34%).
• No correlation was found between hearing loss and disease duration or other systemic involvements, but older age was associated with hearing loss.

Conclusions:

• Hearing loss is a prevalent clinical manifestation in Behçet's disease, potentially serving as a fourth key symptom.
• High-frequency hearing loss is particularly significant in Behçet's disease patients.
• Audiometric evaluation is recommended for monitoring hearing function in individuals with Behçet's disease.