Vestibular nerve disorder in patients suffering from sudden deafness with vertigo and/or vestibular dysfunction

The impact of vestibular symptoms and electronystagmography results on recovery from sudden sensorineural hearing loss

OBJECTIVES

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) represents a frequently encountered otological entity, of various types and severity, with an array of associated symptoms including vertigo. This is a devastating life-changing condition with a blurry prognosis. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical association of vestibular impairment by electronystagmography (ENG) and caloric tests, and their ability to predict prognosis.

METHODS

An observational, crossectional study was carried out amongst patients admitted with SSNHL. Each consenting patient had an audiometry test performed on admission as well as ENG and caloric tests. Treatment included oral steroids and carbogen with intratympanic steroids used only as salvage treatment. Follow-up was completed after 6 months when hearing gains were evaluated. Finally, an association was sought between the rate of recovery and ENG and caloric test results.

RESULTS

Of 35 patients included, marked recovery was seen in patients without vertigo when compared to those with vertigo (p=0.003). A statistically significant association was found between the presence of vertigo and hearing deterioration (p=0.008). More so, normal electronystagmography results were associated with marked recovery (p=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

The vestibular end organs are both subjectively and objectively affected in SSNHL as demonstrated by the abnormal ENG and caloric tests in our study despite the small sample size. Concomitant vestibular involvement carries poorer prognosis and routine identification may help foresee the recovery of patients with SSNHL and as such, aid in patient counseling. ENG and caloric tests are easily available and may be recommended for all patients with SSNHL.

Patterns of nystagmus conversion in sudden sensorineural hearing loss with vertigo

The patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) may complain of vertigo. Although there have been many reports on SSNHL with vertigo (SSNHL_V), changes in the pattern of nystagmus have not been studied as yet. This study is a retrospective study and aims to investigate the characteristic changes in type of nystagmus and clinical features in patients with SSNHL_V who experienced a change in their nystagmus pattern during follow-up. Among 50 patients with SSNHL_V between January 2012 and December 2015, we identified 15 patients with SSNHL_V whose pattern of nystagmus changed. Initial nystagmus was classified into 5 subgroups: paretic type, irritative type, persistent geotropic direction-changing positional nystagmus (PG-DCPN), persistent apogeotropic direction-changing positional nystagmus (PA-DCPN), and posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. The most common pattern of initial nystagmus was PG-DCPN (n = 7). The change of initial nystagmus pattern occurred on day 2 to 75 from symptom onset, and 2 (of 15) patients showed further conversion. The most common pattern of final nystagmus was PA-DCPN (n = 9). Hearing improvement after treatment was not significantly different (P = .59) between SSNHL_V patients with nystagmus change (25 ± 17 dB, n = 15) and those without nystagmus change (28 ± 18 dB, n = 35). In conclusion, clinician's attention is required in evaluating the vertigo symptom in patients with SSNHL_V because the initial patterns of nystagmus can be converted to another type of nystagmus. The presence of nystagmus change during follow-up may not be a prognosticator for hearing recovery in patients with SSNHL_V.

Prognosis of Inner Ear Periphery and Central Vestibular Plasticity in Sudden Deafness with Vertigo

Objectives:

We sought to elucidate the clinical problems and otopathology of patients with sudden deafness with vertigo (SDV).

Methods:

In 24 patients with SDV who had significant canal paresis (CP) at their first visit to our hospital between 1997 and 2001, we examined pure tone audiograms, caloric tests, and several questionnaires twice, at the first visit within 5 days after the onset and around 2 years after steroid therapy.

Results:

These examinations revealed that improvements of auditory and vestibular function in patients with SDV tended to be correlated with one another. Sixteen of the 24 patients (66.7%) still had CP. This rate in SDV was significantly worse than that reported previously for vestibular neuritis (VN). On the other hand, patients with SDV with long-lasting CP had a faster reduction of head-shaking afternystagmus and of handicaps in their everyday life due to dizziness than did patients with VN and CP.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that SDV may deteriorate the inner ear function more severely but accelerate the central vestibular compensation more effectively than VN after the lesion. It is well known that vestibular neurectomy causes much more severe motion-induced dizziness after surgery than does labyrinthectomy. Taken together, these findings suggest different regions of damage in SDV (mainly the labyrinth, as in labyrinthectomy) and VN (mainly the ganglion, as in vestibular neurectomy).

Sudden hearing loss with simultaneous posterior semicircular canal BPPV: possible etiology and clinical implications

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical course and outcome of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in conjunction with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and hypothesize the possible pathophysiology of this entity.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective study of all patients with evidence of SSNHL with any type of BPPV between 2008 and 2012.

SETTINGS

Tertiary care university hospital.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Five patients aged 56 to 71 were diagnosed with unilateral profound SSNHL and BPPV. Neurotologic examination revealed an ipsilateral torsional, up-beating nystagmus on Dix-Hallpike exam. Severe or profound ipsilateral-sensorineural hearing loss was recognized on audiometry. The rest of the exam was normal; this was in keeping with the diagnosis of SSNHL with ipsilateral posterior semicircular canal BPPV.

RESULTS

All patients were treated with a modified Epley maneuver; oral steroids were administered for two weeks. In all cases vertigo resolved and the Dix-Hallpike exam became normal within several weeks. However, the hearing loss remained unchanged in two patients. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head was normal and ENG caloric test demonstrated mild ipsilateral canal paresis in two patients.

CONCLUSIONS

1. Patients with SSNHL and BPPV can have a variable clinical course and outcome. This entity may be quite common, but the diagnosis of BPPV can be missed if a complete neurological physical examination is not performed. 2. Arterial occlusions or selective multiple vascular or neural involvement may explain the pathophysiology of SSNHL with BPPV of the posterior semicircular canal.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Is Not a Prognostic Factor in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Objective. Little is known concerning the role of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) as a prognostic factor for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). The purpose of this study is to analyze the hearing recovery in patients who have SSNHL with BPPV compared with those who have SSNHL without BPPV. The study also documented the relative incidence of each semicircular canal involvement.

Study Design. Case-control study.

Setting. Academic tertiary otologic practice.

Subjects and Methods. Ninety patients diagnosed with SSNHL with vertigo were enrolled. Clinical characteristics such as gender, age, and pure tone audiogram threshold were compared between group A (SSNHL with BPPV, n = 17) and group B (SSNHL without BPPV, n = 73). The frequency of each canal involvement was compared between group A and another 111 patients with BPPV only (group C). The proportion of patients with hearing recovery was compared between patients with or without BPPV, and between those with or without canal paresis.

Results. Patients in group A did not display significant differences in the sex ratio, mean age, or initial results of pure tone audiogram threshold compared with those in group B. Most patients with SSNHL with BPPV had lateral canal canalithiasis (64.7%). The presence of BPPV had no influence on the recovery of hearing.

Conclusions. The clinical characteristics of patients with SSNHL with BPPV were not different from those with SSNHL without BPPV. The lateral canal was the most frequently involved, and the presence or absence of BPPV had no dramatic impact on the outcome of SSNHL.

Prognosis of patients with idiopathic sudden hearing loss: role of vestibular assessment

Objective:

To evaluate the correlation between caloric and vestibular evoked myogenic potential test results, initial audiogram data, and early hearing recovery, in patients with idiopathic sudden hearing loss.

Materials and methods:

One hundred and four patients with unilateral idiopathic sudden hearing loss underwent complete neurotological evaluation. Results for vestibular evoked myogenic potential and caloric testing were compared with patients' initial and final audiograms.

Results:

Overall, abnormal vestibular evoked myogenic potential responses occurred in 28.8 per cent of patients, whereas abnormal caloric test results occurred in 50 per cent. A statistically significant relationship was found between the type of inner ear lesion and the incidence of profound hearing loss. Moreover, a negative correlation was found between the extent of the inner ear lesion and the likelihood of early recovery.

Conclusion:

In patients with idiopathic sudden hearing loss, the extent of the inner ear lesion tends to correlate with the severity of cochlear damage. Vestibular assessment may be valuable in predicting the final outcome.