title: Short-term changes in tinnitus pitch related to audiometric shape in sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is frequently accompanied by tinnitus. This study investigated the relationships between new-onset tinnitus and audiometric parameters in SSNHL patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one patients with SSNHL with new-onset tinnitus were enrolled. Changes of tinnitus pitch, and their correlations with the maximum hearing loss frequency (Fmax) and the edge frequency (Fedge) at initial and 1-month follow-up (FU) were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 1-month FU, tinnitus disappeared in 16 (26%) patients and they also showed hearing normalization. In 36 patients who still showed tonal tinnitus, the mean tinnitus pitch (2.9 kHz) at initial examination, which was close to Fedge (2.7 kHz), increased to a significantly higher frequency (4.6 kHz) at 1-month examination, which was close to Fmax (5.6 kHz). The tinnitus pitch had a more significant correlation with Fedge (r=0.46) than with Fmax (r=0.33) at initial examination and the tinnitus pitch showed a significant correlation only with Fmax (r=0.52) at 1-month examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hearing normalization was crucial for the disappearance of tinnitus at 1-month FU. Patients who still had tonal tinnitus at 1-month FU showed the tinnitus pitch closer to the edge frequency (Fedge) at initial examination, and this tinnitus pitch increased to the maximum hearing loss frequency (Fmax) at 1-month FU. This change in tinnitus pitch may give insight about tinnitus generation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Su
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Hoon
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hwan Seo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chan Joo
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joong Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: dzness@amc.seoul.kr.
authors.forename: Hong Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hearing loss; Pitch; Sensorineural hearing loss; Sudden hearing loss; Tinnitus