Comparison of Audiometric Outcomes Following Acute Labyrinthitis.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Epidemiology
• Audiology

Background:

• Labyrinthitis, an inflammatory inner ear condition, can cause acute vertigo and hearing loss.
• While often self-limiting, some patients experience persistent deficits.
• The study investigates changes in labyrinthitis incidence and hearing outcomes around 2020.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine incidence trends of acute labyrinthitis before and after 2020.
• To compare hearing outcomes in patients diagnosed before and after 2020.
• To identify predictors of persistent hearing impairment in labyrinthitis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 126 patients diagnosed between 2014 and 2024.
• Incidence trends analyzed using Poisson regression.
• Audiometric outcomes compared for 79 patients with 3-month follow-up, assessing pure-tone averages (PTA).

Main Results:

• Annual labyrinthitis cases significantly increased post-2020 (19.8 vs. 6.5 cases/year).
• Hearing recovery was comparable between pre- and post-2020 cohorts (PTA improvement: -16.7 vs. -15.3 dB).
• Baseline hearing level was the strongest predictor of persistent impairment (OR 1.56 per 5 dB increase).

Conclusions:

• A notable rise in diagnosed labyrinthitis cases occurred after 2020.
• Auditory prognosis and recovery patterns at 3 months remained consistent with the pre-pandemic era.
• Baseline hearing status is the key factor for recovery, independent of age, sex, or diagnostic period.