Asymptomatic sensorineural hearing loss in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Hearing loss can accompany systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of asymptomatic sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) in patients with SLE.

Thirty-one unselected consecutive female patients with SLE (American College of Rheumatology criteria, 1982) were evaluated (in a prospective and descriptive study) for evidence of hearing abnormalities. Twenty-five healthy age-matched women served as controls. All patients and control groups underwent both a normal tympanoscopy and an audiometric testing as a prerequisite to be included in the study.

Patients with SLE had a mean age of 35 years (range, 19-64 years) and the follow-up time (median) was 48 months (range, 4-180 months). One of 31 patients was excluded because of middle ear infectious disease. Of the remaining 30 patients, 21 (70%) had impaired hearing; 20 (66%) had sensorineural loss at high frequencies in a bilateral and symmetric way, and one had conductive alteration. Ten patients had normal audiometric studies. Four women in the control group had alterations of the audiometric tests: 3 patients had conductive alteration and the other one had bilateral ASNHL. No statistically significant correlation was found among the presence of ASNHL, the detection of antiphospholipid antibodies, and the treatment with hydroxychloroquine. Also, no correlation was observed between impaired hearing and SLE activity.

If it can be established how often this ASNHL progresses to a clinical problem, it can be important that, as part of initial studies, patients with SLE undergo audiometric tests.