Background and objectives: Although acute low-tone hearing loss has been associated with cochlear hydrops or early stage Meniere's disease, its prognosis in the short-term has been reported to be better than sudden hearing loss. However, recurrence of hearing loss and possible progression to Meniere's disease remain important concerns in the clinical setting. This study aims to investigate the long-term audiological outcomes of acute low-tone hearing loss.
Subjects and methods: A retrospective review of patients presenting with a first attack of acute low-tone hearing loss was performed. Of the 77 patients, 33 were followed up for more than 3 months. Progression, recovery of hearing loss and recurrence of hearing loss were examined. Also, correlation between long-term outcomes and associated clinical factors were analyzed.
Results: Twenty-five patients (75.7%) had complete hearing recovery, five patients (15.1%) had partial recovery, two patients (6.0%) had no recovery, and one patient (3.0%) had progression of hearing loss 1 month after initial treatment. Thirty-three patients were followed up for more than 3 months (mean 22 months, range 3-79 months). Recurrences of acute low-tone hearing loss were observed in five patients (15.2%). All of the recurrences occurred during the first 12 months of follow-up. Long-term prognosis correlated with the initial therapy results (R(2)=0.693).
Conclusions: Recurrences of hearing loss were documented in five patients (15.2%), and all of these cases occurred within one year of the first attack. Audiological outcomes after initial therapy may predict the recurrence of acute low-tone hearing loss.
Keywords: Acute low-tone hearing loss; Hearing loss; Prognosis.