Summary
We have studied certain epidemiological problems not often encountered in the literature, involving patients with sudden hearing loss. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study on 183 patients at the University of Padova and found that: (a) age at the onset of the hearing loss incurred is closely associated with the presence of concomitant diseases; (b) partial or total recovery of hearing is strongly predicated by the variables of age at onset and the interval between onset of hearing loss and the beginning of treatment given. We have also used polar-coordinate diagrams to show that cases of sudden hearing loss tend to be cyclic and are more prevalent in the central months of each season.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bosatra A, De Stefani GB (1962) The idiopathic sudden deafness: a clinical study. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) [Suppl] 169:1–62
Everitt BS (1977) The analysis of contingency tables. Chapman and Hall, London
Feldmann H (1981) Sudden hearing loss: a clinical survey. Adv Otorhinolaryngol 27:40–69
Graham JM, Ramsden HF, Moffat DA, Gibson WPR (1978) Sudden sensori-neural hearing loss: electrocochleographic findings in 70 patients. J Laryngol Otol 92:581–589
Gussen R (1976) Sudden deafness of vascular origin: a human temporal bone study. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 85:94–100
Jaffe B (1973) Clinical studies in sudden deafness. Adv Otorhinolaryngol 20:221–228
Jaffe B, Maassab HF (1967) Sudden deafness associated with adenovirus infection. N Engl J Med 276:1406–1409
Malik GH, Polsar IA, Ruffy ML (1974) Sudden idiopathic sensorineural deafness and its diagnosis. Bull NY Acad Med 50:907–916
Mattox DE, Simmons FB (1977) Natural history of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 86:463–480
Morgenstein KM, Mance ED (1969) Temporal bone histopathology in sickle cell disease. Laryngoscope 79:2172–2180
Poncet E, Pain F, François M, Tran-Quanq-Loc, Biaggi S, Roulleau P (1983) Surdités brusques. Etude critique d'une série de 118 cas. Ann Otolaryngol (Paris) 100:475–484
Rowson KEK, Hinchcliffe R, Gamble DR (1975) A virological and epidemiological study of patients with acute hearing loss. Lancet I:471–473
Rubben R, Distenfeld A, Berg P (1969) Sudden sequential deafness as a presenting symptom of macroglobulinemia. JAMA 109:1364–1365
Russolo M, Poli P (1980) Acute idiopathic auditory failure: prognosis. Audiology 19:422–433
Schuknecht H (1962) Pathology of sudden deafness. Laryngoscope 72:1142–1157
Shaia FT, Sheehy JL (1976) Sudden sensorineural hearing impairment: a report of 1,220 cases. Laryngoscope 86:389–397
Simmons FB (1973) Sudden idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss: some observations. Laryngoscope 83:1221–1227
Stange G, Neveling R (1980) Hörsturz. In: Berendes J, Link R, Zöllner F (Hrsg) Thieme, Stuttgart, Bd 6/Ohr II:45.1–45.22
Van Dishoeck HAE, Biermann TA (1957) Sudden perceptive deafness and viral infection. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 66:963–980
Wright JLW, Saunders SH (1975) Sudden deafness following cardio-pulmonary bypass surgery. J Laryngol Otol 89:757–759
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Megighian, D., Bolzan, M., Barion, U. et al. Epidemiological considerations in sudden hearing loss: a study of 183 cases. Arch Otorhinolaryngol 243, 250–253 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00464440
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00464440