Hearing and cochlear function of patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Otolaryngology
• Audiology

Background:

• Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the axial skeleton.
• Audiovestibular impairment has been anecdotally reported in AS patients.
• The specific impact of AS on hearing function requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate hearing function and cochlear system performance in AS patients.
• To compare audiometric findings between AS patients and healthy controls.
• To explore correlations between hearing deficits and disease parameters in AS.

Main Methods:

• Prospective evaluation of 37 AS patients and 20 healthy controls.
• Comprehensive otorhinolaryngologic examinations including pure tone audiometry, speech discrimination tests, tympanometry, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOE).
• Collection of data on disease duration, BASDAI scores, CRP, and ESR.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in pure tone audiometry across all frequencies (p < 0.01) and speech discrimination scores (p < 0.01) were observed between AS patients and controls.
• No significant differences in DPOE responses were found between the groups (p > 0.05).
• No significant correlations were identified between hearing test results and disease duration, BASDAI scores, or hematologic markers (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• This study confirms an association between ankylosing spondylitis and hearing loss.
• The findings suggest that the cochlea is not the primary site of auditory dysfunction in AS.
• Further research is needed to identify the specific mechanisms underlying hearing impairment in AS.