A Statistical Analysis of Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Abstract

Prognostic factors in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss were analyzed statistically in 135 patients admitted to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Sumitomo Hospital between 1993 and 1996. Patients treated within 6 days after onset recovered significantly better than those treated 7 or more days after onset. The patients with hearing within 80 dBHL recovered significantly better than those over 80 dBHL. Moreover, the improvement rate was better in the low frequencies than in the high frequencies. Severity of vertigo was closely related to poor recovery of hearing loss in the group with hearing of less than 40 dBHL at onset, although this relationship was not evident in the group with hearing of more than 40 dBHL at onset. These results suggest that patients with acute endocochlear hydrops may be included in the group with vertigo and hearing of better than 40 dBHL at onset.