Residual Dizziness Characteristics of Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.

Introduction: ISSNHL, a common clinical condition, can be accompanied by vertigo. Initially, research on sudden deafness primarily focused on the hearing loss itself, with less emphasis on episodic vertigo. However, as vertigo research has advanced, it has been recognized that BPPV is a frequent accompaniment to ISSNHL-associated vertigo. Even after treatment, some patients may experience residual dizziness. This study investigates the characteristics of patients with ISSNHL accompanied by BPPV and the impact of residual dizziness on their lives.

Methods: This study is being conducted on patients with ISSNHL accompanied by BPPV, analyzing the characteristics of such patients and the impact of residual dizziness on their lives. Overall, 54 adult inpatients with ISSNHL and BPPV were included in this study. All patients received 50 mg of intravenous prednisolone for 5 consecutive days and hemodilution agents for 10 days. At the same time, BPPV was treated with repositioning by the same therapist using the SRM-IV vertigo diagnostic and treatment system, and different repositioning methods were used for different types of otolithiasis. Patients were grouped according to the absence of residual dizziness when the nystagmus disappeared at the time of discharge.

Results: There were 24 cases in the group with residual symptoms, including 10 males and 14 females. The proportion of females was 58.33%, with an average age of 46.75 ± 13.80. The group without residual symptoms consisted of 30 cases, including 13 males and 17 females. The female proportion was 56.67%, with an average age of 45.77 ± 11.86. There is no statistical significance between the two groups in the pre-treatment hearing status and DHI scores. The HAMA (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) scores before treatment were compared, revealing a significant statistical difference.

Conclusion: ISSNHL-associated BPPV may be caused by vascular embolism or thrombosis in the cochlear or spiral modiolar artery. This disrupts blood flow, leading to ischemia in the otolithic membrane and subsequent detachment of otoconia. Because this detachment often occurs within 24 h of the initial event, patients experience positional vertigo early in the course of the disease.