Objectives Postulated etiologies for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) include viral cochleitis, microvascular events. If SSNHL is caused by vascular compromise of common cochlear artery that supplies cochlea and posterior semicircular canal (PC), PC also can be damaged with cochlea. We aim to evaluate the prognostic value of PC function in relation to hearing recovery of SSNHL.
Methods Seventy-six patients who were diagnosed and treated for SSNHL and who underwent video head impulse test (vHIT) and follow-ups for more than 3 months were reviewed retrospectively. We defined impairment of PC function as lower PC gain (<0.7) or definite overt/covert saccade in vHIT. Patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1, SSNHL without dizziness; group 2, SSNHL with dizziness and impaired PC function; group 3, SSNHL with dizziness, but intact PC function. Hearing thresholds were repeatedly measured on the initial visit, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment. Treatment outcome was analyzed by comparing hearing recovery rate using Siegel’s criteria and posttreatment audiometric changes among 3 groups.
Results Thirty-two (29.6%), 33 (30.6%), and 43 patients (39.8%) were included into the groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The hearing recovery rate of the group 2 (39.4%) was significantly lower than that of groups 1 (65.6%) and 3 (65.1%) (p=0.043). Pre- and posttreatment changes of the PTA threshold was significantly lower in group 2 than group 1 (p=0.009). The change of speech discrimination in each group were not different.
Conclusions Our findings suggest that the presence of PC impairment may be a poor prognostic sign for hearing recovery in patients with SSNHL.
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It is known that about 30% of patients with sudden hearing loss present with vertigo or dizziness. In clinical practice, this is called sudden hearing loss with vertigo (SHLV) although definite diagnostic criteria have not been established. Dizziness in SHLV is known to be caused by the dysfunction of the vestibular end-organs as well as the superior vestibular nerve or both vestibular nerve divisions. Lesions of the inferior vestibular nerve or a single semicircular canal have also been reported in these patients. Herein we report a 71-year-old male patient with SHLV who demonstrated vestibular dysfunction involving only the posterior semicircular canal. The patient showed normal results in the bithermal caloric test and the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials test as well as positional test. Video head impulse test showed decreased gain only in the posterior semicircular canal. This case is significant in showing that dizziness in SHLV patients can occur by an abnormality involving only a single semicircular canal.