Is there a relation between sudden sensorineural hearing loss and white matter lesions?

PURPOSE: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has similarities to conditions with vascular etiologies such as myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke. Thus, it could be considered as an early sign of a vascular disease and not only a specific local condition. Chronic hypoperfusion in the brain districts leads to a chronic ischemic damage, called cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), detectable with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: The authors used CSVD to establish the presence of vascular risk factors in individuals with SSNHL and used the Fazekas score scale to classify them. RESULTS: Our study showed that individuals with SSNHL aged between 48 and 60 years have 26% more probability to have a Fazekas score higher than 1 compared to the general population. Individuals younger than 28 years showed a statistically significant negative correlation to have a Fazekas score higher than 0. The higher is the Fazekas score, the less is the probability of hearing recovery. The medium hearing-recovery probability is 46%. This decreases by 16% for every increase of score in the Fazekas scale. In the present study, the recovery probability decreased from 80% in individuals younger than 48 years with a score of 0 to 14% in individuals with a Fazekas scores of 3 and 4. CONCLUSIONS: The authors assessed a higher prevalence of CSVD compared to the general population in patients aged between 48 and 60 years with SSNHL. Moreover, they assessed that the presence of CSVD is related to a decreased probability of recovery, as it has already been demonstrated for stroke.

Correction to: Is there a relation between sudden sensorineural hearing loss and white matter lesions?

In the original publication, fifth author's surname was incorrectly published as "Diacinto". The correct surname should read as "Diacinti".

Does age influence the success of intra-tympanic steroid treatment in idiopathic sudden deafness?

CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that AGE, DELAY, and PTA_PRE may be considered factors influencing therapeutic success in intra-tympanic steroid therapy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the therapeutic success of intra-tympanic prednisolone therapy and age, in patients affected by idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), considering the influence of factors such as delay, gender, and pure tone average (PTA) pre-therapy. METHOD: This retrospective study involved 402 consecutive patients, affected by unilateral ISSNHL between January 2009 and January 2014. Patients were divided into two groups based on age: group one with 94 patients aged over 65 years and group two with all 402 patients enrolled in the study, including those over 65. RESULTS: PTA recorded before the beginning of the therapy (PTA_PRE) in group one was worse than for group two. In both groups the therapy was significantly effective in improving hearing thresholds, even if PTA_PRE was significant and negatively correlated with success rate. This effect disappeared within the population over 65. On average, each day of DELAY from the onset of hearing loss to the beginning of therapy cuts almost 2% of the possibility to recover. AGE was negative and significant when specified continuously for group two.