Audiological findings in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease. The aim of this investigation was to study the relationship between AS and hearing loss. This study compared 28 patients with AS with 23 age-matched controls. All subjects underwent ENT examination, audiological and acoustic immittance measurements, and auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests. Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 28.6 per cent of the AS patients and in 4.35 per cent of the control group. For hearing levels at 250-500 Hz and 4000-8000 Hz, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Acoustic reflex was not obtained in both ears of four patients and the left ear of one patient. There was a correlation between increase of tympanic volume and limitation in neck movement, between extension of 1-3 interpeak latency and limitation in the neck movement. In conclusion, AS affects the inner ear more than the middle ear.

Audiovestibular Manifestations in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis - A Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…Alatas et al [4] , did not find any statistically significant difference in the ABR results between patients and the control group. Erbek et al [8] found that the rates of reproducibility in transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing (TEOAE) were significantly lower in patients with AS than those in controls.…”

“…Casellini et al [6] determined higher SNHL rates in 22 patients with AS than those in the control group. Alatas et al [4] reported the ratio of SNHL to be 28.6% in 28 patients with AS, whereas it was reported to be 4.3% in the control group. Dagli et al [7] studied 28 patients with AS and 25 controls and found SNHL in 10 patients (35%).…”

“…However, in this study, there was a statistically significant difference at a frequency of 14-16000 Hz in 32 patients with AS (71%) as compared with 12 controls (40%) [2] . Alatas et al [4] observed SNHL both at low and high frequencies in patients with AS. Erbek et al [8] found statistically significant difference at high frequencies in 32 patients with AS.…”

“…Some authors advocate that middle ear involvement leading to conductive hearing loss is the typical form but others think that SNHL because of inner ear involvement [2,3] . The following three mechanisms may be responsible for otologic involvement: 1) pathology of inner ear epithelium and vascular tissue because of autoimmune reaction, 2) impaired mobility of middle ear ossicles, and 3) NSAID ototoxicity [4] .…”

“…Stria vascularis may be the affected area in AS. Stria vascularis is an epithelial tissue that is rich in vascularization, and its main function is to arrange the electrical potentials of endocochlea and to supply the hairy cells [4,10] .…”