Coagulation States in Patients With Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Evaluated by Thromboelastography

Abstract

Objective The state of coagulation is controversial in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). We used thromboelastography (TEG) to explore the relationships between blood coagulation parameters and SSNHL pathogenesis and recovery. Study Design Prospective study. Setting Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Methods A total of 104 newly diagnosed patients with SSNHL and 29 matched healthy controls were recruited. Hearing assessments, TEG, and conventional coagulation tests (CCTs) were performed, followed by standard treatments and follow-up. Results The TEG parameters of patients with SSNHL were in the normal range, but the group exhibited a significantly prolonged kinetic time (K; P = .004) and a smaller angle ( P = .003) as compared with the controls. After grouping the patients with SSNHL according to audiograms and comparing them in pairs, we found that the differences were significant only when controls were compared with patients with low-frequency SSNHL (K, P = .023; angle, P = .04) and flat-type SSNHL (K, P = .017; angle, P = .014). Logistic regression analysis showed that neither TEG nor CCT parameters significantly affected hearing improvement after SSNHL treatment. Conclusions Although the K value and angle were significantly increased and significantly reduced, respectively, in the test group as compared with the control group, the state of coagulation in patients with SSNHL was still within the normal range. No CCT or TEG coagulation parameters (except the angle) differed significantly among patients in each group according to hearing recovery status, which suggested that the coagulation status does not determine the prognosis of patients with SSNHL.

COVID-19 and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review

“…Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is defined as the sudden onset of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) without an identifiable etiology, with at least three consecutive frequency losses ≥ 30 dB within 72 h ( 4 ). The annual incidence of SSNHL varies between 5 and 27 cases per 100,000 persons ( 5 ). The cause of SSNHL is unclear.…”

“…The cause of SSNHL is unclear. However, the possible causes include viral infection, circulatory abnormalities, autoimmune disease, labyrinthine membrane rupture, and central nervous system (CNS) anomalies ( 5 , 6 ).…”

Sensorineural hearing loss during and post COVID-19 infections

“…12 percent of individuals in a research by Lechien et al had anosmia as their initial symptom. a manifestation of the problem [5]. Despite the fact that facial nerve palsy is rarely linked to COVID-19, there have been a few cases.…”

Vulnerable frequency as an independent prognostic factor for sudden sensorineural hearing loss

“…SSNHL affects 5-27 per 100,000 people annually, with 6,600 new cases reported annually in the United States (2,3). The pathological mechanism of SSNHL is unknown, and previous studies have shown that microcirculatory disturbance, prethrombotic susceptibility, and chronic inflammation are associated with its occurrence and prognosis (4)(5)(6). The etiology of SSNHL usually varies according to its audiogram, and it is currently believed that full-frequency hearing loss has a poor prognosis and is related to the mechanism of hemodynamic disturbance (7,8).…”