急性低音障害型感音難聴146例の検討

抄録

Acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss (ALHL) is an ailment presenting with a sudden sensorineural hearing loss in which the hearing impairment is confined to the lower frequencies. In the present study, the records of patients diagnosed with ALHL from among the patients of hearing loss who visited my clinic in the last 6 years were extracted, and a retrospective analysis of the subjective symptoms, recovery rate, recurrence, and a tendency of progression to Meniere’s disease were recorded. A total of 146 cases were diagnosed as having ALHL, of which 34 were male and 112 were female. The most common subjective symptom was aural fullness, reported by 131 patients (89.7%). The 116 cases who were given isosorbide, Wu-Ling-San (Goreisan), and ATP as initial treatment recovered. Out of the 30 patients who did not respond to the initial treatment and were given steroids and vitamin preparations, 20 cases showed recovery. The overall recovery rate was 93.2%. There was no improvement in 10 cases (6.8%). Based on the severity, Grades 1, 2, and 3 showed a recovery rate of 90% or more. Grade 4 showed a low recovery rate of 68.8%. The cases who showed no improvement were either elderly patients or patients diagnosed as having a high severity at the first visit. Out of the 146 cases, the post-one year follow-up was performed for 82 cases (56.2%). Out of the cases who underwent the post-one year follow-up, there was recurrence in 31 cases (21.2%). Out of the patients with recurrence, 22 cases progressed to cochlear Meniere’s disease. 6 cases progressed to Meniere’s disease, all of which were females. The severity grade of all the 6 cases who progressed to Meniere’s disease was Grade 3 or Grade 4. Patients progressing to Meniere’s disease had a higher severity of the disease.