A Retrospective Comparative Chart Review of Hearing Recovery in Neural and Sensory Type Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients.

Abstract

Objective: While the pathogenesis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss is thought to be localised to the cochlea, recent microRNA findings suggest a neuro-topic localisation in some patients. This study distinguishes if neural and non-neural groups differ in hearing recovery.

Methods: Neural-type hearing loss was defined as a presenting word recognition score less than 60 per cent, with a word recognition score reduction greater than 20 per cent than expected based on the averaged pure tone audiometry. Hearing recovery was defined as an improvement of greater than or equal to 10 decibels in pure tone audiometric thresholds.

Results: Eight of 12 and 24 of 36 of neural and non-neural hearing loss patients demonstrated hearing recovery, respectively. The affected ear's word recognition score (per cent) change with treatment were different between the neural and non-neural groups (46.9 ± 29.8 vs 3.2 ± 25.8 (p < 0.0001)).

Conclusion: The hearing recovery rate in neural and non-neural hearing loss groups was similar. Patients with neural-type hearing loss demonstrated greater word recognition score recovery post treatment than those in the sensory group.