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Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
Uncommon Hearing Instability Disorders: A Scoping Review
Jeremiah Olabosipo1, Christina Zhu1, Julia Telischi2
1Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology
|July 20, 2026
Summary
This review identifies uncommon causes of hearing instability, finding infections, tumors, and vascular issues are most frequent. Increased awareness can lead to earlier diagnosis and better patient outcomes for sudden or fluctuating hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Neurology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Hearing instability encompasses a range of conditions affecting auditory function.
- Uncommon causes of hearing instability are not well-characterized, hindering timely diagnosis and treatment.
- Understanding these rare etiologies is crucial for improving patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and categorize uncommon disorders causing hearing instability.
- To enhance understanding of the clinical presentations and treatment options for these rare conditions.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR framework was conducted.
- Literature searches were performed across Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Central.
- Data extraction included etiology, hearing loss type, symptoms, comorbidities, treatments, and outcomes from 334 studies involving 2247 patients.
Main Results:
- Infectious (30.2%), neoplastic (29.6%), and vascular (28.1%) etiologies were the most common causes of hearing instability.
- Neoplastic causes, particularly vestibular schwannomas, affected the most patients (n=1101).
- COVID-19 was the most frequent infection (n=146), and rare causes included leukemia and infective endocarditis.
Conclusions:
- Hearing instability can stem from diverse and uncommon etiologies.
- Greater clinical awareness of these rare conditions is essential for prompt and effective treatment.
- Early recognition and intervention may significantly improve patient outcomes.
