Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026
An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
Published on: March 13, 2026
Diagnostic tests for immunomediated hearing loss: a systematic review
D Lobo1, F García López, J R García-Berrocal
1Ear Research Group, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. d.lobo@excite.com
Objective:
To quantitatively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of diagnostic tests for immunomediated hearing loss.
Data Sources:
We searched Medline and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for potentially relevant studies.
Study Selection:
Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria of this systematic review. The diagnosis of immunomediated hearing loss was based on the clinical presentation and the response to corticosteroid administration.
Data Extraction:
The following data were extracted from the selected studies and entered into a standardised database: population demographics; exclusion and inclusion criteria; diagnostic tests; sensitivity; specificity; the number of true positive, true negative, false positive and false negative values; therapy used, including dose and duration; and delay between symptom onset and therapy commencement.
Data Synthesis:
This systematic review combined data from 679 patients with immunomediated hearing loss, reported by 22 research teams. Substantial heterogeneity was found among the included studies; for this reason, summary sensitivity and specificity values were not computed.
Conclusions:
The results of diagnostic tests for immunomediated hearing loss depend on many factors, and there is a risk of potential bias. This is the first time that such a systematic review has been presented; such a review is a more rigorous method of demonstrating the utility of the available diagnostic tests.
