Comparative Prognostic Analysis of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss With Vertigo in Pediatric and Adult Patients.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the association of vertigo with rates of frequency-specific hearing recovery in pediatric and adult patients with unilateral idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

METHODS

A total of 80 pediatric and 444 adult patients hospitalized with SSNHL were included in this study. Clinical and audiological data were collected, and frequency-specific hearing recovery percentages before and after treatment were compared between pediatric and adult SSNHL patients with and without vertigo.

RESULTS

In pediatric SSNHL patients with vertigo, the median recovery rates at 250-500 Hz, 1000-2000 Hz, and 4000-8000 Hz were 62.5%, 28.2%, and 21.1%, respectively, whereas those without vertigo showed higher median recovery rates of 90.3%, 82.1%, and 56.5%. Similarly, adult SSNHL patients with vertigo exhibited median recovery rates of 53.2%, 33.7%, and 24.6% across the same frequency ranges, compared to 88.9%, 76.6%, and 53.3% in adults without vertigo. In both pediatric and adult cohorts, hearing recovery decreased progressively with increasing frequency. Patients with vertigo exhibited consistently lower recovery across all frequency bands compared to those without vertigo. However, no statistically significant differences in frequency-specific recovery were observed between pediatric and adult SSNHL cohorts.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of vertigo increases with the severity of hearing loss in SSNHL ranging from moderately severe to total deafness. Vertigo is a prognostic factor associated with poorer hearing recovery across all frequencies, underscoring its importance as a critical clinical indicator in the management of SSNHL.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.