Background: Inner ear hemorrhage is increasingly recognized as a cochlear lesion that can cause profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Objectives: To investigate changes of cochlear and vestibular function and to compare therapeutic recovery from profound SSNHL induced by different etiologies. Material and methods: Eighty patients with profound SSNHL (≥90 dB) were divided into an inner ear hemorrhage group and a non-inner ear hemorrhage group by MRI. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the therapeutic effects from vertigo and hearing loss and the outcomes of follow-up in the two groups. Results: There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of the overall 14-day therapeutic response rate (20 vs. 48%), the incidence of imbalance (26.7 vs. 6%), the incidence of semicircular canal dysfunction on the affected side (60 vs. 20%), the incidence of abnormal C-VEMP and O-VEMP on the affected side (63.3 vs. 38%; and 60 vs. 30%, respectively), the average hearing threshold (74.2 ± 10.7 vs. 53.6 ± 11.4 dB), and the word recognition score (65.5 ± 21.7 vs. 83.5 ± 24.5%) at a 12-month follow-up. Conclusions and significance: A higher percentage of patients with profound SSNHL induced by inner ear hemorrhage were associated with vertigo and had a poor prognosis.
Keywords: Inner ear hemorrhage; prognosis; sudden sensorineural hearing loss.