Early detection of cochlear hearing loss in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a cross-sectional study

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder that has cardinal articular and peri-articular symptoms. Extra-articular manifestations (EAMs) are also reported among RA patients. In the current study, we assessed hearing function in 50 RA patients. An extensive audiological assessment including pure tone audiometry (PTA), extended high-frequency audiometry (EHFA), tympanometry, and acoustic reflex in addition to the oto-acoustic emission (OAEs) were done. Results: Our data demonstrates that among the 50 participants with median disease duration of 8 years, about 80% had normal hearing using PTA and EHFA. However, 46% of them had-interestingly-demonstrated absent OAEs, suggesting early stages of cochlear hearing loss. Conclusion: We conclude that rheumatoid arthritis can cause hearing impairment that can be early diagnosed by TEOAEs.