title: Suppurative labyrinthitis associated with otitis media: 26 years' experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suppurative labyrinthitis continues to result in significant hearing impairment, despite scientific efforts to improve not only its diagnosis but also its treatment. The definitive diagnosis depends on imaging of the inner ear, but it is usually clinically presumed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the clinical factors and hearing outcomes in patients with labyrinthitis secondary to middle ear infections and to discuss findings based on imaging test results.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study, based on the charts of patients admitted with middle ear infection-associated labyrinthitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 14 patients, eight (57%) of whom were females and six (43%) males. Mean age was 40 years. Cholesteatomatous chronic otitis media was diagnosed in six patients (43%), acute suppurative otitis media in six (43%), and chronic otitis media without cholesteatoma was diagnosed in two patients (14%). Besides labyrinthitis, 24 concomitant complications were identified: six cases (25%) of labyrinthine fistula, five cases (21%) of meningitis, five cases (21%) of facial paralysis, five cases (21%) of mastoiditis, two cases (8%) of cerebellar abscess, and one case (4%) of temporal abscess. There was one death. Eight (57%) individuals became deaf, while six (43%) acquired mixed hearing loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suppurative labyrinthitis was often associated with other complications; MRI played a role in the definitive diagnosis in the acute phase; the hearing sequel of labyrinthitis was significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: andre_maranhao@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: André Souza de Albuquerque
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Maranhão
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valeria Romero
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Godofredo
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Norma de Oliveira
authors.initials: Nde O
authors.lastname: Penido
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007762:Labyrinthitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hearing loss; Labirintite; Labyrinthitis; Otite média; Otitis media; Perda auditiva