Investigation of annual numbers of patients with sudden deafness treated in each district using the data by a nationwide epidemiological survey

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the distribution of patients with sudden deafness in Japan using the data obtained by the fourth nationwide epidemiological survey on sudden deafness conducted by the Research Committee of the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare in 2001. We investigated the distribution of patients by dividing the whole country into 9 districts and 47 prefectures. The annual number of patients with sudden deafness per 100, 000 was from 17 (Shikoku) to 42 (Chugoku) and from 3 (Yamanashi, Nagasaki) to 48 (Osaka), respectively. More patients tend to be reported in densely-populated areas judging from the data concerning the distribution of patients per 100, 000 in each prefecture.