Extended high frequency audiometry can diagnose sub-clinic involvement in a seemingly normal hearing systemic lupus erythematosus population.
CONCLUSIONS
Sensorineural hearing loss must be considered within the clinical picture of systemic lupus erythematosus. The results confirm the usefulness of extended high-frequency audiometry in the audiologic testing of these patients, enabling the possibility of modifying or applying a preventive treatment for a possible hearing loss.


OBJECTIVE
Hearing involvement is usually under-diagnosed with routine auditory examination. This study proposes the use of extended high-frequency audiometry to achieve a correct detection of a possible asymptomatic hypoacusis in early stages of the disease. The aim of this study is to analyze the hearing levels in extended high-frequencies in these patients and to correlate the hearing loss with the severity of the disease and the immunological parameters.


METHODS
A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed. Fifty-five patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were included in the study. The control group consisted of 71 patients paired by age and sex with the study population. Both a pure tone audiometry and an extended high-frequency audiometry (8-18 KHz) were performed.


RESULTS
In total, 70% were diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss with extended high-frequency audiometry, overcoming the results obtained with pure tone audiometry (30.9%). Statistically significant correlations were found within the patients regarding sensorineural hearing loss related with age, disease activity and cryoglobulinemia.
a ENT Department , 'Severo Ochoa' University Hospital , Leganes , Madrid , Spain.
Mar
M
Lasso de la Vega
b ENT Department , 'Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda' University Hospital , Majadahonda , Madrid , Spain.
Ithzel María
IM
Villarreal
a ENT Department , 'Severo Ochoa' University Hospital , Leganes , Madrid , Spain.
Julio
J
López Moya
b ENT Department , 'Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda' University Hospital , Majadahonda , Madrid , Spain.
José Ramón
JR
García-Berrocal
D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
D003450:Cryoglobulins
Systemic lupus erythematosus; extended high-frequency audiometry; immune-mediated disease; sensorineural hearing loss