Sensorineural hearing loss in association with pregnancy, delivery, puerperium, menstruation and administration of female hormones

Abstract

Eighteen ears of 14 patients developed sensorineural hearing loss associated with (A) pregnancy,(B) delivery,(C) puerperium,(D) menstruation and (E) administration of female hormones.
Audiological examination revealed the following clinical aspects. 1) Hearing loss in (A),(B) and (C) occurred in the twenties and early in the thirties.
2) Acute hearing loss of 9 ears showed unilateral, abrupt onset like sudden deafness. Sudden impairment of hearing occurred in pregnancy, immediately after delivery and in administration of progesterone and/or estrogen.
3) Slowly progressed hearing loss of 4 ears developed bilaterally in puerperium or periodically in menstruation.
4) Audiograms of (A),(B) and (C) showed high tone loss in most cases. Hearing impairment was slight or severe.
5) Audiograms of (D) and (E) showed hearing loss of flat type. Hearing loss was moderate.
6) Békésy audiogram showed type II configuration, SISI score revealed mostly positive.
7) Pure tone audiograms of acute hearing loss were significantly improved, however restoration of slowly progressed impairment was poor.
Effects of progesterone and estrogen on hearing loss were discussed in order to explain pathogenesis of these hearing impairments.
It seemed unreasonable to regard the disease merely as side effects of female hormones.