Studies on the Cases with Recovery or Fluctuation in Sensori-Neural Hearing Loss

Abstract

225 cases with sensori-neural hearing loss were observed for one year or more clinically and audiometrically.
25 cases (31 ears) among them showed the more than one paroxysmal recovery or fluctuation in the hearing level of 15dB or more in a long term observation. The recovery or fluctuation in the hearing level occured predominantly at the range of low frequencies.
This phenomenon was occured in various kinds of diseases; 6 cases of Meniere's disease, 4 of sudden deafness, 3 of cerebello-pontine angle tumor, 2 of each labyrinthine syphilis, Hunt's syndrome and each one of acoustic trauma, acoustic neuritis, Lermoyez's syndrome, circular disturbance in basilar artery and unknown etiology.
18 cases among them were of unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and 7 cases were of bilateral.
There were many processes in the recovery or fluctuation of the hearing loss, but any characteristics in the processes were not observed.