Original Paper

Simultaneous and Sequential Bilateral Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Are They Different from Unilateral Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss?
John Xenellis, Thomas P. Nikolopoulos, Pelagia Stavroulaki, Pavlos Marangoudakis, Michael Androulakis, Michael Tsangaroulakis, Eleftherios Ferekidis

ENT Department, Athens University, and Ippokratio and Attiko Hospital, Athens, Greece

Address of Corresponding Author

ORL 2007;69:306-310 (DOI: 10.1159/000107435)

  Key Words

• Bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss
• Unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss
• Autoimmune diseases
• Antinuclear antibody

  Abstract

Aim: To compare bilateral (BSSHL) with unilateral (USSHL) sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Methods and Subjects: Two hundred and thirty-two patients with USSHL, 11 with simultaneous BSSHL and 7 with sequential BSSHL, who were older than 15 years had onset of hearing loss <30 days, no head injuries or history of acoustic trauma. All patients received the same treatment (prednisolone). Results: Hearing loss was more severe in simultaneous BSSHL in comparison to sequential BSSHL (p = 0.01) or USSHL (p = 0.03). Autoimmune diseases were far more common in simultaneous BSSHL (36% of patients) than USSHL. Positive antinuclear antibody was found in half of BSSHL patients and in only 8% of unilateral cases (p = 0.01). The frequency of hearing improvement was much lower in simultaneous BSSHL than in USSHL (p = 0.001). Complete or partial improvement was noted in 74% of unilateral cases versus 27% in simultaneous bilateral cases. Patients with sequential BSSHL improved in a similar way to unilateral cases. Conclusions: Simultaneous BSSHL, sequential BSSHL and USSHL may have a completely different profile and should not be managed as one disease. Hearing loss, underlying autoimmune diseases, antinuclear antibodies, and improvement/recovery of hearing loss vary in a degree that implies different pathophysiology and prognosis.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Thomas P. Nikolopoulos, MD, DM, PhD
116 George Papandreou Street
New Philadelphia, GR-143-42 Athens (Greece)
Tel. +30 210 251 3312, Fax +30 210 777 8095
E-Mail Thomas.Nikolopoulos@Nottingham.ac.uk

  Article Information

Received: September 20, 2006
Accepted after revision: April 23, 2007
Published online: August 17, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 13