OBJECTIVE: To explore whether patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have hearing loss and the pattern of hearing loss. METHODS: Questionnaire, physical examination of the ear, nose and throat, hearing test and sero-immunity examinations were conducted in 34 patients (68 ears) with AS. RESULTS: Among 34 patients, 11 cases reported decrease in the sound perception, and 24 cases (41 ears, 60.3%) had hearing loss as evidenced by the pure tone audiometry. In those patients with hearing loss, 2 ears with perforation of tympanic membrane showed conductive hearing loss and the remainder 39 ears showed sensorineural hearing loss in which 26 ears (66.7%) experienced high frequency hearing loss. Auditory brainstem responses were normally presented in 26 case, whereas abolished in 1 case (2 ears) with severe hearing loss. Examinations of sero-immunity showed a positive response in HLA-B27, but negative responses in the antinuclear antibody and rheumatoid factor. The percentage of the C-reactive protein increase was 81.8%. Autoantibodies anaginst the inner ear were positive in 9 cases (28.1%). In addition, all other immunological examinations revealed certain changes. CONCLUSION: More than half of the patients with AS had sensorineural hearing loss, particularly in the high frequency range. This hearing loss is paralleled by abnormal immunology and is a local expression of systemic autoimmune disease. Therefore, periodical hearing tests are necessary for these patients.
OBJECTIVE: To explore whether patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have hearing loss and the pattern of hearing loss. METHODS: Questionnaire, physical examination of the ear, nose and throat, hearing test and sero-immunity examinations were conducted in 34 patients (68 ears) with AS. RESULTS: Among 34 patients, 11 cases reported decrease in the sound perception, and 24 cases (41 ears, 60.3%) had hearing loss as evidenced by the pure tone audiometry. In those patients with hearing loss, 2 ears with perforation of tympanic membrane showed conductive hearing loss and the remainder 39 ears showed sensorineural hearing loss in which 26 ears (66.7%) experienced high frequency hearing loss. Auditory brainstem responses were normally presented in 26 case, whereas abolished in 1 case (2 ears) with severe hearing loss. Examinations of sero-immunity showed a positive response in HLA-B27, but negative responses in the antinuclear antibody and rheumatoid factor. The percentage of the C-reactive protein increase was 81.8%. Autoantibodies anaginst the inner ear were positive in 9 cases (28.1%). In addition, all other immunological examinations revealed certain changes. CONCLUSION: More than half of the patients with AS had sensorineural hearing loss, particularly in the high frequency range. This hearing loss is paralleled by abnormal immunology and is a local expression of systemic autoimmune disease. Therefore, periodical hearing tests are necessary for these patients.