Autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss

This study aims to evaluate the association between autoimmune thyroiditis and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL).

Hundred and five patients with SSNHL were enrolled. Audiometric tests, serum thyroid autoantibodies (TPOAb, TgAb) were studied. Based on the thyroid autoantibody results, patients were divided into two groups: thyroid autoantibody-positive and negative. The relationship between thyroid autoimmunity and audiological characteristics was analyzed.

Twenty-six patients (24.8%) of the SSNHL had thyroid autoantibody elevated. The pure tone average (PTA) of patients with and without thyroid autoantibody is 60 ± 38.51 and 54.99 ± 33.87 dBHL, respectively. The PTA was significantly improved in both groups after treatment (p < 0.001), but the hearing gains were similar in both groups (p = 0.205). Hearing loss of 2000-8000 Hz was worse than 125-1000 Hz among thyroid autoantibody-positive patients (p < 0.05), but the hearing improvement of both groups have no significant difference. The hearing improvement of 125-1000 Hz is significantly better than 2000-8000 Hz among patients with thyroid autoantibody negative (p < 0.05).

We speculate that a potential association between thyroid autoimmunity and SSNHL. Thyroid autoimmunity may be a pathogenesis factor of SSNHL and associated with more severe hearing loss of high-frequency hearing.