Pregnancy and otosclerosis

Abstract

A retrospective study has been made of a sample of 479 women with deafness from otosclerosis, classified according to the number of pregnancies they have had and whether there had been a subjective impression of deterioration of hearing during or immediately after at least 1 pregnancy. The study confirms previous reports that pregnancy does involve a risk of aggravating deafness in clinical otosclerosis. The chance of female patients with bilateral otosclerosis reporting a subjective deterioration of hearing in pregnancy can be accurately described by a simple mathematical model and varies from about 33% after 1 pregnancy to about 63% after 6 pregnancies. In women with unilateral otosclerosis pregnancy-related deterioration of hearing is much less commonly perceived. There is no strong evidence that pregnancies cause any alteration to the actual footplate pathology of female patients.

Sex differences in patients with hearing impairments caused by otosclerosis

“…For instance, Gristwood and Venables [5] found that 33% of female patients with otosclerosis reported deterioration of hearing after one pregnancy and 63% after six pregnancies. One might therefore assume that in women the hearing impairment caused by otosclerosis will advance more rapidly than in men.…”

The effect of sex hormones on bone metabolism of the otic capsule – an overview

“…While otosclerosis is reported to worsen during periods of intense hormonal activity (Sellari-Franceschini et al, 1998), a possible link between aggravation of otosclerosis and pregnancy is still debated. A retrospective study on a sample of 479 women with otosclerosis showed that the risk of subjective hearing deterioration with bilateral otosclerosis increased from 33% after one pregnancy to 63% after six pregnancies (Gristwood and Venables, 1983). On the other hand, a retrospective study on women, who had undergone stapedectomy, found no significant correlation between number of children and hearing loss (Lippy et al, 2005).…”

Experimental estrogen-induced hyperprolactinemia results in bone-related hearing loss in the guinea pig

“…Hearing loss related to cochlear otosclerosis worsens during periods of intense hormonal activity (83). Otosclerosis often begins during a first pregnancy and is seriously aggravated during successive pregnancies (38).…”