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Sudden sensorineural hearing loss associated with inner ear anomaly
Makoto Sugiura1, Tsutomu Nakashima, Shinji Naganawa
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. makotos@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Summary
Inner ear anomalies are more common in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). This study found a 2.5% association between inner ear anomaly and SSNHL, significantly higher than controls.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Radiology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an otologic emergency.
- The etiology of SSNHL is often idiopathic, but structural anomalies may play a role.
- Inner ear malformations are a potential, though rarely identified, cause of hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of inner ear anomalies in patients diagnosed with SSNHL.
- To compare the frequency of inner ear anomalies in SSNHL patients versus a control group.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case review of 366 patients with SSNHL and 228 controls.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used for evaluation.
- Patients with SSNHL included unilateral and bilateral cases.
Main Results:
- Inner ear anomalies were identified in 2.9% of ears with SSNHL.
- Nine patients (2.5%) with SSNHL had associated inner ear anomalies.
- No inner ear anomalies were found in the 228 control subjects.
Conclusions:
- Inner ear anomalies are significantly more frequent in patients with SSNHL compared to controls.
- Approximately 2.5% of SSNHL cases may be linked to an underlying inner ear anomaly.
- Further investigation into inner ear structure is warranted in SSNHL evaluation.