Abstract
A clinical survey of patients with acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss (ALSH) who consulted the author's clinic between 1987 and 2004 was carried out. The increase in number of patients that we described before continued and was caused by an increase in female patients, the same as before. The etiology and pathological changes in the inner ear in ALSH were speculated. ALSH may be due to autonomic nervous system dysfunction or a hormone imbalance, probably caused by some form of social anxiety. Endolymphatic hydorops is thought to be most acceptable pathological change of the inner ear in ALSH. Impaired blood supply to the stria vascularis via the external radiating artery in the middle turn of the cochlea may also cause ALSH. Based on these speculations some drugs that are expected to be effective against ALSH are described. The recent trends in the number of ASLH patients and results of therapy are also presented.
