Outcomes of Severe to Profound Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.
OBJECTIVE
While a severe to profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) may cause serious disability in verbal communication, there have been little studies focusing on this high degree SSNHL. The present study was aimed to investigate the characteristics of hearing recovery in a high degree SSNHL (>70 dB).


METHODS
Three hundred and two SSNHL patients were enrolled. For a long-term follow-up, 46 patients were evaluated. Hearing level was examined by pure tone audiometry on day 1, week 3, month 3, month 6, and year 1 or after. According to the degree of the initial hearing loss, the patients were divided into 4 groups from 70 to ≥100 dB.


RESULTS
After 3 weeks, the recovery rate and mean hearing gain was 61%, 23.85 dB in the 70 dB group, whereas 10%, 6.61 dB in the ≥100 dB group. There was a significant correlation between 3-week recovery and final hearing outcome. However, there was almost no recovery after 3 months.


CONCLUSIONS
An early recovery can be a prognostic factor for the final recovery in severe to profound SSNHL. Since recovery after 3 months is rare, an early hearing intervention like hearing aid or cochlear implantation should be considered in the high degree SSNHL to restore the patient's verbal communication.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
Si-Young
SY
Jo
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
Sungsu
S
Lee
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
Tae-Ho
TH
Eom
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
Eun-Sun
ES
Jeun
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
Hyong-Ho
HH
Cho
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
Yong-Beom
YB
Cho
Cochlea; Ear, Inner; Hearing Loss, Sudden; Treatment Outcome