Sensorineural hearing loss in chronic otitis media.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether chronic suppurative otitis media may cause sensorineural hearing loss.


METHODS
The files of 121 patients with unilateral chronic suppurative otitis media were reviewed in a retrospective study. Air conduction and bone conduction threshold averages were calculated over the speech frequencies (500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 2,000 Hz). Thresholds at 4 kHz were examined separately but in a similar way. Multiple linear regression models were used to clarify the relationships between sensorineural hearing loss and chronic otitis media.


RESULTS
Chronic suppurative otitis media was seen to be associated with sensorineural hearing loss. When age and normal side were corrected for, pure-tone threshold and bone conduction threshold at either the speech frequencies or at 4 kHz increased gradually according to the duration of the chronic suppurative otitis media. The threshold shift was more accentuated as age increased. The sensorineural hearing loss at 4 kHz seemed to be higher than that at the speech frequencies.


CONCLUSIONS
The inner ear is vulnerable against chronic suppurative otitis media. Older age increases this vulnerability. The proximity of the sensory cells to the potential source of harm (inflamed middle ear) may mean higher exposure, as reflected by the fact that sensory cells processing higher frequencies are more seriously damaged.
Papp
Zoltán
Z
University of Debrecen Health Science Center Medical School, Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology, Debrecen, Hungary.
Rezes
Szilárd
S
Jókay
István
I
Sziklai
István
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000150:complications*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology