Clinical Factors Associated With Prognosis of Tinnitus and Aural Fullness After Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated the long-term prognosis and risk factors associated with tinnitus and aural fullness, which occurred with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Study design: Retrospective cross-sectional review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Patients: Those who visited our clinic for sudden hearing loss from January 2016 to May 2020, diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss based on pure-tone audiometry, and underwent magnetic resonance imaging to rule out other cause of hearing loss. In total, 106 patients were enrolled in this study.

Intervention: All patients were treated with oral glucocorticoids. Salvage intratympanic dexamethasone injection therapy was performed for the patients whose hearing was not fully recovered.

Main outcome and measures: We scored the loudness of tinnitus and the intensity of aural fullness using the numerical rating scale. We used a mixed-effects model for repeatedly measured tinnitus and aural fullness scores.

Results: The time after the onset of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL; β = -0.07; 95% confidence interval, -0.09 to -0.05; p < 0.001) and hearing outcome after treatment (overall p = 0.003) were significant factors associated with the prognosis of tinnitus. Concerning aural fullness, the time after the onset of SSNHL was a significant prognosis factor ( β = -0.08; 95% confidence interval, -0.09 to -0.06; p < 0.001), unlike hearing outcome (overall p = 0.261). Pretreatment pure-tone audiometry average threshold and mainly affected frequencies were not significant factors for tinnitus and aural fullness recovery, respectively.

Conclusion: The persistence of tinnitus with SSNHL was significantly affected by hearing recovery after treatment, whereas aural fullness was not associated with hearing recovery. However, both symptoms were improved over time after SSNHL.