title: Epidemiological survey of acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A nationwide epidemiological survey involving 23 hospitals in Japan was conducted and the predictive values of demographic data were examined statistically.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 642 patients from 23 hospitals, including 20 university hospitals, in Japan were enrolled in the study. Age ranged from 8 to 87 years, and all were diagnosed with acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss (ALHL) between 1994 and 2016. Demographic data for the patients, such as symptoms, gender, mean age, and distribution of ALHL grading, were collected and analyzed in relation to prognosis using Student's t-test, χ2test and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Female gender (p < .013), younger age (p < .001), low-grade hearing loss (p < .001), and shorter interval between onset and initial visit (p < .004) were significantly predictive of a good prognosis. The prognosis for definite ALHL was significantly better than that for probable ALHL (p < .007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The severity of initial hearing loss, interval between onset and initial visit and age were important prognostic indicators for ALHL, while female gender was an important prognostic indicator peculiar to ALHL.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery , Iwate Medical University , Morioka , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery , Iwate Medical University , Morioka , Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuwashima
authors.affiliation: b Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Shinshu University School of Medicine , Matsumoto , Japan.
authors.forename: Shin-Ya
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.affiliation: b Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Shinshu University School of Medicine , Matsumoto , Japan.
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kitoh
authors.affiliation: c Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine , Sapporo , Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.affiliation: d Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine , University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba , Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.affiliation: e Department of Otolaryngology , Ehime University School of Medicine , Toon , Japan.
authors.forename: Naohito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hato
authors.affiliation: f Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Saitama School of Medicine , Moroyama , Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikezono
authors.affiliation: g Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital , National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities , Tokorozawa , Japan.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.affiliation: h Department of Otolaryngology , International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.affiliation: i Division of Hearing and Balance Research , National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Kimitaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaga
authors.affiliation: j Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine , Hirosaki , Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.affiliation: i Division of Hearing and Balance Research , National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.affiliation: k Department of Otolaryngology , Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine , Maebashi , Japan.
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.affiliation: l Department of Otolaryngology , Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital , Kobe , Japan.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.affiliation: m Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences , Fukuoka , Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.affiliation: n Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy , Okayama , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishizaki
authors.affiliation: b Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Shinshu University School of Medicine , Matsumoto , Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.affiliation: o Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery , Keio University School of Medicine , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.affiliation: p Department of Otolaryngology , Kitasato University School of Medicine , Sagamihara , Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.affiliation: q Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Nagoya University, Graduate School of Medicine , Nagoya , Japan.
authors.forename: Michihiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sone
authors.affiliation: r Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery , University of Toyama , Toyama , Japan.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shojaku
authors.affiliation: s Department of Otolaryngology , Nagasaki University Faculty of Medicine , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: t Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine , University of Miyazaki , Miyazaki , Japan.
authors.forename: Testuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tono
authors.affiliation: u Department of Otolaryngology , Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine , Ube , Yamaguchi , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: v Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine , University of Tokyo , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamasoba
authors.affiliation: b Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Shinshu University School of Medicine , Matsumoto , Japan.
authors.forename: Shin-Ichi
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Usami
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Epidemiology; acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss; nationwide survey