Bilateral versus unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment results between bilateral (bi-) and unilateral (uni-) sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).


METHODS
A retrospective study.


METHODS
Three hundred twenty-four patients with SSNHL were classified into two groups; simultaneous bi-SSNHL (n = 16) and uni-SSNHL (n = 308). We compared clinical characteristics, medical history, hearing level, and treatment results between the 2 groups.


RESULTS
The incidence of bi-SSNHL was 4.9 percent of overall patients with SSNHL. Bi-SSNHL occurs more commonly in patients of older age, with preexisting diabetes mellitus, and lipid panel abnormalities compared with uni-SSNHL. Ten patients (62.5%) in the bi-SSNHL group showed hearing recovery in 1 or both ears compared with 56.5 percent of patients with uni-SSNHL. Only 12 (37.5%) of all 32 ears recovered in bi-SSNHL, which was significantly lower than in uni-SSNHL.


CONCLUSIONS
Bi-SSNHL has a very low incidence and lower recovery rate than uni-SSNHL. Recognition of similarities and differences between bilateral and unilateral SSNHL can help in counseling and managing the patients.
Oh
Jeong-Hoon
JH
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Park
Keehyun
K
Lee
Seung Joo
SJ
Shin
You Ree
YR
Choung
Yun-Hoon
YH
D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies