Evaluation of hearing in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with controls

Year 2019, , 122 - 127, 08.08.2019

Zafer Volkan Gökçe , Sidar Öztürk Ceki Paltura

https://doi.org/10.32448/entupdates.574363

Abstract

Objective: To demonstrate the effects of
rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on hearing with audiometric and tympanometric
measurements, and to reveal its relationship with the disease in comparison
with healthy volunteers.

Methods: The
study included 30 RA patients and 30 healthy controls. Demographic findings such
as age, height, weight, onset of complaint (year), time elapsed since
diagnosis, previous surgery, accompanying systemic disease, drugs used, family
history, habits of smoking and alcohol use were questioned for both groups.
Tympanometry, pure voice audiometry and otoacoustic Emission tests were
performed.

Results: The
hearing thresholds in the airway conduction in RA group were significantly
higher in all frequencies (0.25-6 kHz) than in the control group. When bone
conduction hearing thresholds were compared, RA group was more affected at only
4 kHz and left ear (p=0.006). When air-bone conduction differences (AB-gap)
were examined, the differences in the RA group at 0.5, 1 and 4 kHz were
statistically significant. When tympanometry and acoustic reflex measurement
results were evaluated, there was no statistically significant difference
between groups. In the transient OAE test, 3 (10 %) patients were in the RA and
2 (6.6 %) patients in the control group (p=0.064).

Conclusion: Conductive hearing loss was significantly more
frequent in patients with RA than in healthy individuals, whereas bone
conduction was affected partially at high frequencies; whereas stapes reflex,
compliance and pressure values were not significantly affected. 

Keywords

Hearing; sensorineural hearing loss; rheumatoid arthritis

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