Inner ear involvement in mixed cryoglobulinaemia patients.
In order to evaluate the nature and prevalence of audiovestibular disturbances in mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC), 32 consecutive MC patients were studied by a wide audiological and vestibular examination. Pure tone audiometry, impedance audiometry, brainstem response audiometry and vestibular function were performed. Patients with a previous history of ear damage due to other well-known agents were excluded from the study. In MC patients we found a rather frequent audiovestibular involvement (34.3%). Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was found in seven MC patients (22%) and altered vestibular function test values in other seven subjects (22%). Moreover, anamnestic and clinical data revealed a high incidence of benign positional paroxysmal vertigo in our MC series. We can suppose that immune complex-mediated microvascular involvement of the labyrinthine vessels may be responsible for inner ear damage in MC. Thus, audiovestibular disturbances may be included among various organ involvement of the MC.
Berrettini
S
S
Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department, University of Pisa, Italy.
Ferri
C
C
La Civita
L
L
Segnini
G
G
Lombardini
F
F
Bruschini
P
P
Longombardo
G
G
Sellari-Franceschini
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014717:Vertigo / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests