Objective: The etiology of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) remains unknown; inflammation may be one cause. We retrospectively studied SSHNL cases in terms of the inflammatory parameters involved.
Methods: We reviewed 169 SSNHL cases. The control group contained 132 patients with vocal cord polyps. The C-reactive protein (CRP) level, CRP/serum albumin (Alb) ratio, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were compared between the 2 groups. The relationships between these parameters and the time to treatment after SSHNL onset, hearing level, and therapeutic effects were also analyzed.
Results: The CRP level, CRP/Alb ratio, and NLR were higher in SSNHL patients than in controls, but only the NLR differed significantly between the 2 groups. We found no significant differences between patients with different hearing levels, those evaluated at various times after SSNHL onset, and those with different outcomes.
Conclusion: The NLR is a reliable SSNHL diagnostic marker. The CRP level and CRP/Alb ratio are not useful indicators.
Keywords: CRP; CRP/ALB; NLR; sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).