Clinical Characteristics of Labyrinthine Concussion

Abstract

Background and ObjectivesInner ear symptoms like hearing loss, dizziness or tinnitus are often developed after head trauma, even in cases without inner ear destruction. This is also known as labyrinthine concussion. The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical manifestations, characteristics of audiometry and prognostic factors of these patients.Materials and MethodsWe reviewed the medical records of the 40 patients that had been diagnosed as labyrinthine concussion from 1996 to 2007. We studied the hearing levels in each frequency and classified them according to type and degree of hearing loss. Rates of hearing improvement were evaluated according to age, sex, hearing loss type, degree and presence of dizziness or tinnitus. To find out any correlation between hearing improvement and these factors, we used χ2 test or Fisher's exact test.ResultsBilateral hearing loss was observed in 22 patients, and unilateral hearing loss in 18 patients. There were 4 (6.5%) ascending, 34 (54.8%) descending, 24 (38.7%) flat type hearing loss, which indicated hearing loss was greater in high frequencies than low frequencies. Among 62 affected ears, 20 (32.3%) gained improvement, and it was achieved mainly in low frequencies. There were only 2 ears with dizziness in 20 improved ears and among 20 dizziness accompanied ears, also only 2 ears were improved.ConclusionsHigh frequencies are more vulnerable to trauma than low frequencies. The hearing gain is obtained mainly in low frequencies, and association with dizziness serves poor prognosis.

Acquired Hearing Loss in Children

“…With an increasing recognition of the prevalence of cognitive, behavioral, and vestibular effects of sports-related concussion as well as traumatic brain injury, an auditory and vestibular evaluation should be added to the clinical care of these patients. 70,71 Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Sudden SNHL is a well-reported occurrence in adults but little studied in children. Although the definition of idiopathic sudden SNHL includes unilateral onset, many subjects with sudden onset of SNHL actually have bilateral findings.…”

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Dizziness after Motor Vehicle Accident

“…Concomitant audiological symptoms appeared to be associated with a poorer prognosis in our patients although the difference was not significant. A study has reported that hearing disturbance after head trauma improved less when dizziness was present [11] . This may be because the damage to the labyrinthine or inner ear is greater in patients with dizziness and concomitant hearing symptoms.…”

“…Labyrinthine concussion is also a common cause of post traumatic dizziness [5,11] . This disorder is thought to be caused by non-specific injury to the labyrinth.…”

Ipsilateral facial nerve injury with contralateral labyrinthine concussion and subdural hematoma in a case of longitudinal temporal bone fracture

“…According to Choi et al, they found that the hearing improved patients after head injury had obtained hearing gain mostly in low frequencies rather than high frequencies. 4 Their speculated mechanism was the vibrating wave affecting the basal turn of cochlea most severely, thus causing irreversible damage to the organ of Corti in the basal turn. Labyrinthine concussion can be confirmed mainly by audiometric tests.…”