Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2025
Surgical Induction of Endolymphatic Hydrops by Obliteration of the Endolymphatic Duct
Published on: January 22, 2010
Presence of endolymphatic hydrops on listening difficulties in patients with normal hearing level
Tadao Yoshida1, Masumi Kobayashi1, Satofumi Sugimoto1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Background:
Listening difficulties (LiD) present difficulties in listening and paying attention to spoken information despite normal pure tone audiometry. Endolymphatic hydrops (EH) is a common inner ear condition associated with Ménière's disease but may also be present in the asymptomatic ear.
Objectives:
Using magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated EH in patients with LiD and assessed whether the severity of EH was related to the results of auditory processing tests (APTs).
Materials And Methods:
111 patients with no abnormalities on pure tone audiometry, but displaying difficulties in listening, underwent evaluation through APTs and questionnaires. Upon obtaining informed consent, the inner ears of 20 consenting patients were evaluated utilizing a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging.
Results:
A higher percentage of patients diagnosed with LiD by APTs had significant EH in the cochlea and vestibule than in previously reported control cases. The percentage of correct answers in the speech-in-noise test was significantly lower in patients with than in those without significant EH.
Conclusion And Significance:
In this study, significant EH of the cochlea was associated with poor listening to noise. The presence of EH affects the functioning of the auditory processing system, even in ears that test normally on standard audiometric tests.
