Hypercoagulability as a cause of sudden neurosensory hearing loss

Fourteen patients with a documented sudden neurosensory hearing loss and four patients with other diseases causing neurosensory hearing loss were studied. The standardized coagulation workup included hematocrit, activated partial thromboplastin generation time, thrombin generation, prothrombin time, phase platelet count, platelet adhesivity, protamine sulfate, serum antithrombin III activity, fibrinogen, and Factor VIII values. Ony those patients having documented evidence of a neurosensory hearing loss occurring within hours or days were included in this study. Eight of the 14 paitents with a documented sudden neurosensory hearing loss satisfied our laboratory criteria for a diagnosis of in vitro hypercoagulability. Three of these patients had abnormal thrombin generation values, 4 had abnormal serum antithrombin III values, and 1 had an elevated platelet count. Four other patients with other diseases causing neurosensory hearing loss did not show evidence of in vitro hypercoagulability. It would appear from this data that coagulation abnormalities play a role in the pathogenesis of sudden neurosensory hearing loss.