[Characteristics of endolymphatic hydrops in low frequency descent sudden hearing loss]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the clinical features of low-frequency sudden deafness and endolymphatic hydrops on gadolinium contrast in the inner ear. Methods: From July 2019 to January 2020, adult patients with unilateral low-frequency sudden deafness who were hospitalized in the outpatient clinic or ward of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University were selected and examined by audiology and gadolinium magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of inner ear. The same treatment plan was given, and the curative effect was recorded and followed up for more than 3 months. SPSS 20.0 software was used to analyze the correlation between the accompanying symptoms, deafness, and endolymphatic hydrops. Results: A total of 48 patients were included in the study, including 18 males and 30 females. The age ranged from 21 to 52 (37.3±10.0) years. All of them were unilateral, including 28 cases of left ear and 20 cases of right ear. The course of the disease was less than 2 weeks in all cases. The endolymphatic hydrops group included 14 cases, including vestibular hydrocele (6 cases), cochlear hydrops (2 cases), and cochlear and vestibular hydrops (6 cases). The incidence of dizziness in the endolymphatic hydrops group was higher than that in the non-hydrops group (6/14 vs 0/34, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in hearing values between the two groups at 125, 250, 500, 4 000 and 8 000 Hz (all P>0.05). The hearing in the endolymphatic hydrops group was worse than that in the non-hydrops group at 1 000 and 2 000 Hz. Conclusion: Compared with those without endolymphatic hydrops, patients with hydrops tend to have a higher incidence of dizziness, worse hearing at 1 000 and 2 000 Hz, and a worse prognosis.