[Clinical study of acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss].

OBJECTIVE

To study the etiology, diagnosis and therapeutic strategies of acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss (ALHL).

METHOD: Fifty-five patients (58 ears) with ALHL were selected for this study. With detailed history collection, otological examination and pure tone audiometry,acoustic immittance and auditory brainstem response (ABR), all cases were divided into two groups, the prednisone group and the control group, randomly with six months follow-up.

RESULT: ALHL mainly affected young people. The symptoms included the sensation of ear fullness, low-tone tinnitus, and hearing impairment. Otological examinations showed normal results. Mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss at low frequencies and type "A" tympanograms were found in all cases. Acoustic stapedial reflexes were elicited in 49 out of 58 affected ears and 40 of them had positive results on the Metz test. ABR responses were normal in all 45 tested ears. with comparison of the two groups, the effect of prednisone group was superior to that of the control group.

CONCLUSION

ALHL patients are clinically characterized by low-tone tinnitus, aural fullness and hearing loss, which mainly involve unilateral ear. Audiological findings indicate cochlear impairment, which only invades low frequency region. This study suggest that the corticosteroid therapy probably have some effect.