Audiometric changes during teprotumumab therapy for thyroid eye disease: a prospective pilot study

To prospectively evaluate audiologic outcomes in patients with thyroid eye disease (TED) treated with teprotumumab, focusing on longitudinal changes in hearing sensitivity and cochlear function.

Adult patients initiating teprotumumab therapy at a tertiary care center (2023-2025) underwent audiologic evaluations before, during, and after treatment. Pure-tone audiometry (500-12,500 Hz) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs; 842-7996 Hz) were analyzed using three-level mixed-effects models to assess longitudinal changes, with secondary analyses controlling for baseline hearing loss.

Sixteen participants completed the study. Significant threshold elevations suggesting reduced hearing sensitivity were observed in 6 of 9 audiometric frequencies (p < 0.05), most prominent during active therapy. Partial recovery occurred post-treatment, though thresholds rarely returned to baseline. DPOAE analyses showed fewer consistent changes, with significant amplitude reductions at only 4 of 24 frequencies. Adjusting for baseline hearing loss reduced significance for isolated measures but not overall trends. As multiple comparisons were not formally adjusted for, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating.

Teprotumumab therapy appears to be associated with sensorineural hearing decline detected by audiometry but incompletely captured by DPOAEs. This mismatch suggests injury beyond outer hair cells, possibly involving inner hair cells or neural elements. These findings may support audiometric monitoring during treatment and further research into teprotumumab's ototoxic mechanisms during treatment of TED.