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Auditory pathway in rheumatoid arthritis. A comparative study and surgical perspectives
Fabrizio Salvinelli1, Luca D'Ascanio, Manuele Casale
1Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy.
Acta Oto-Laryngologica
|November 26, 2005
Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis patients commonly experience hearing loss, including both conductive and sensorineural types. This study highlights impaired auditory function in RA, correlating disease duration with hearing deficits.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Rheumatology
- Audiology
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease.
- Hearing impairment is a potential extra-articular manifestation of RA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and characteristics of hearing loss in RA patients.
- To compare audiological findings in RA patients versus healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- 28 RA patients and 28 controls underwent audiological assessments, including pure-tone audiometry (PTA), auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs).
- Rheumatological evaluations were also performed.
- Four RA patients with conductive hearing loss underwent stapedectomy.
Main Results:
- RA patients exhibited significantly increased air conduction thresholds and air-bone gaps in PTA compared to controls.
- ABRs showed increased Wave I latency, and TEOAEs demonstrated reduced reproducibility and amplitude in RA patients.
- A correlation was found between RA disease duration and TEOAE echo amplitude.
Conclusions:
- Rheumatoid arthritis patients frequently present with mixed hearing loss, encompassing both conductive and sensorineural components.
- Audiological abnormalities are prevalent in RA, suggesting a link between systemic inflammation and auditory pathway dysfunction.
