Objective: To evaluate the pathological effects of preeclampsia on hearing levels in pregnant women by pure-tone audiometry and brainstem auditory-evoked potentials (BAEPs).
Methods: Both ears in 30 preeclamptic patients and 38 women with uncomplicated pregnancy matched by maternal age and gestational age were investigated based on BAEPs and pure-tone audiometry. Hearing thresholds were within the normal ranges in all subjects prior to pregnancy. We compared the results of hearing levels and auditory pathway functions between the two groups.
Results: Statistically significant differences in pure-tone audiometry results were found between the two groups (p < 0.05). However, these results were not clinically significant because all pure-tone thresholds were lower than 20 dB (normal hearing abilities). The differences between BAEPs were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: This study suggests that preeclampsia does not markedly affect hearing function unless it causes secondary vascular occlusion of microcirculation related to hearing.
Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.