title: Asymmetric hearing loss is common and benign in patients aged 95 years and older.
abstract: The objective of our study was to investigate age-specific auditory function in the patient population aged 95 years and older.
  
  
  
  Retrospective chart review at a tertiary medical center.
  
  
  
  Medical records of 51 patients older than 95 years (82% female, 18% male) who underwent audiologic testing were reviewed. The following information was collected: age at time of most recent audiogram and prior audiograms; results of pure tone, immittance, and speech audiometry; and findings on radiologic imaging.
  
  
  
  None of the subjects had hearing in the normal range. For the poorer hearing ear, average low-frequency, high-frequency, and overall pure tone averages (PTA) for the population were 67.9, 82.1, and 74.9 dB hearing level, respectively. Mean word recognition score (WRS) was 57.6% and deteriorated with increasing PTA (P = .0002). Asymmetry, defined by a 10-dB difference at two frequencies, was present in 39.2% of the sample, and WRS asymmetry, defined as a difference of 12% in WRS between ears, was present in 33.0% of the sample. Retrocochlear evaluation did not identify pathology in any of the cases tested. In the poorer hearing ear, average decline in PTA per year was 2.9 dB.
  
  
  
  In individuals >95 years of age, hearing loss was universal, moderately severe to profound in magnitude, and associated with substantial loss of speech recognition. Hearing loss progresses at a rate greater than for younger cohorts. In this "oldest old" population, asymmetry of loss and WRS was common and is not indicative of retrocochlear pathology.
  
  
  
  4 Laryngoscope, 126:1630-1632, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Leskowitz
authors.affiliation: Division of Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Francesco F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Caruana
authors.affiliation: Division of Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Siedlecki
authors.affiliation: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Z Jason
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Division of Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Jaclyn B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Spitzer
authors.affiliation: Division of Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Anil K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lalwani
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Hearing loss; presbycusis; retrocochlear pathology