Otologic Diagnoses Among Patients With Adult-onset and Pediatric-onset Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Database Study

The otologic conditions associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) have yet to be fully categorized. The objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence of otologic diagnoses in both adult-onset and pediatric-onset APS.

The TriNetX US Collaborative network was utilized to perform a retrospective cohort study. The adult-onset and pediatric-onset APS cohorts included patients with APS diagnosed in adulthood or before 18 years, respectively. Matched comparison cohorts for the general adult and pediatric populations included patients without APS. Outcomes of interest included prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), central and peripheral vertigo, tinnitus, and Ménière's disease.

The adult-onset APS cohort (n=25,981) had a higher risk of SNHL [relative risk (RR): 1.4, 95% CI: 1.4-1.5], central vertigo (RR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.4-2.7), peripheral vertigo (RR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1-1.3), tinnitus (RR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1-1.2), and Ménière's disease (RR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.4-2.3) compared with the matched general adult cohort (n=25,981). The pediatric-onset APS cohort (n=2409) had a higher risk of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (RR: ≥2.4, 95% CI: 1.2-5.0) compared with the matched general pediatric cohort (n=2409).

Both adult-onset and pediatric-onset APS had a greater prevalence of various otologic diagnoses compared with the general population. More research is needed to evaluate unique patient factors that may contribute to the development of these conditions.

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