Tae Su Kim1, Myung Hoon Yoo2, Hwan Seo Lee3, Chan Joo Yang3, Joong Ho Ahn3, Jong Woo Chung3, Hong Ju Park4. 1. Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Otolaryngology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Republic of Korea. 3. Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 4. Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: dzness@amc.seoul.kr.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is frequently accompanied by tinnitus. This study investigated the relationships between new-onset tinnitus and audiometric parameters in SSNHL patients. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with SSNHL with new-onset tinnitus were enrolled. Changes of tinnitus pitch, and their correlations with the maximum hearing loss frequency (Fmax) and the edge frequency (Fedge) at initial and 1-month follow-up (FU) were analyzed. RESULTS: At 1-month FU, tinnitus disappeared in 16 (26%) patients and they also showed hearing normalization. In 36 patients who still showed tonal tinnitus, the mean tinnitus pitch (2.9 kHz) at initial examination, which was close to Fedge (2.7 kHz), increased to a significantly higher frequency (4.6 kHz) at 1-month examination, which was close to Fmax (5.6 kHz). The tinnitus pitch had a more significant correlation with Fedge (r=0.46) than with Fmax (r=0.33) at initial examination and the tinnitus pitch showed a significant correlation only with Fmax (r=0.52) at 1-month examination. CONCLUSIONS: Hearing normalization was crucial for the disappearance of tinnitus at 1-month FU. Patients who still had tonal tinnitus at 1-month FU showed the tinnitus pitch closer to the edge frequency (Fedge) at initial examination, and this tinnitus pitch increased to the maximum hearing loss frequency (Fmax) at 1-month FU. This change in tinnitus pitch may give insight about tinnitus generation.
OBJECTIVE: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is frequently accompanied by tinnitus. This study investigated the relationships between new-onset tinnitus and audiometric parameters in SSNHL patients. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with SSNHL with new-onset tinnitus were enrolled. Changes of tinnitus pitch, and their correlations with the maximum hearing loss frequency (Fmax) and the edge frequency (Fedge) at initial and 1-month follow-up (FU) were analyzed. RESULTS: At 1-month FU, tinnitus disappeared in 16 (26%) patients and they also showed hearing normalization. In 36 patients who still showed tonal tinnitus, the mean tinnitus pitch (2.9 kHz) at initial examination, which was close to Fedge (2.7 kHz), increased to a significantly higher frequency (4.6 kHz) at 1-month examination, which was close to Fmax (5.6 kHz). The tinnitus pitch had a more significant correlation with Fedge (r=0.46) than with Fmax (r=0.33) at initial examination and the tinnitus pitch showed a significant correlation only with Fmax (r=0.52) at 1-month examination. CONCLUSIONS: Hearing normalization was crucial for the disappearance of tinnitus at 1-month FU. Patients who still had tonal tinnitus at 1-month FU showed the tinnitus pitch closer to the edge frequency (Fedge) at initial examination, and this tinnitus pitch increased to the maximum hearing loss frequency (Fmax) at 1-month FU. This change in tinnitus pitch may give insight about tinnitus generation.
Authors: Ljiljana Cvorovic; Nenad Arsovic; Nemanja Radivojevic; Ivan Soldatovic; Stefan C A Hegemann Journal: Noise Health Date: 2021 Jul-Sep Impact factor: 0.867