title: Can hypotension episodes cause cochlear damage in young subjects?
abstract: In the absence of a satisfactory interpretation, sudden sensorineural hearing loss is often attributed either to infective phenomena or to organic-type circulatory defects. This latter pathogenesis inevitably comes to mind in elderly patients or in the presence of signs of circulatory dysfunction. Nevertheless, the not-infrequent observation of sudden hearing loss in young persons lacking factors predictive of short-term vascular impairment makes us suppose the existence of etiopathogenetic mechanisms of a functional nature. A survey of our cases, matched with a control group, revealed the presence of lower mean blood pressure levels in the group of young patients with 'idiopathic' sudden hearing loss. This finding supports the hypothesis that a condition of haemodynamic imbalance linked to hypotension plays a role in the genesis of cochlear damage in young subjects. Such a mechanism would bear important therapeutic implications: should it be responsible for the damage in at least some cases, vasoactive drugs with a vasodilatative action could have adverse effects on the possibility of recovery.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Otorinolaringologica, Policinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pirodda
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saggese
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giausa
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nascetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaddi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies