title: Hearing loss after direct blunt neck trauma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report for the first time hearing impairment resulting from blunt neck trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of clinical, pure tone, and speech audiometric findings. The first obtained within 3 months and the follow-up ones between 6 and 12 months after injury. Three representative examples are given.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three patients (166 ears) who reported hearing impairment after blunt neck trauma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty of the 166 ears (12%) had normal hearing and 137 ears (81.3%) showed an acoustic trauma-like hearing impairment. Eight ears (4.8%) had a hearing loss of at least 30 dB in the speech frequencies (500-2,000 Hz) and two ears (1.2%) had additional impairment in the higher frequencies. Only one ear (0.8%) had a conductive hearing loss. No speech discrimination score was poorer than 80%. Forty-six subjects (55.4%) reported tinnitus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blunt neck trauma, like whiplash injury, may cause objectively measurable hearing impairment.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D004584:Electronystagmography; D005260:Female; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006316:Hearing Loss, High-Frequency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*