Hearing loss in patients with Behcet's disease: an audiological and transient evoked otoacoustic emission study

Objective: To investigate hearing loss in patients with Behcet's disease. Materials and methods: Twenty-four consecutive cases ofBehqet's disease and 24 sex- and age-inatched controls were included in this study. Pure tone and high frequency audiometric tests were performed and pure tone average hearing thresholds calculated for both groups. Transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing was also performed. Results: Pure tone audiometry showed a sensorineural hearing loss in 15 of the Behcet's disease cars. Hearing thresholds were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group, on both pure tone frequency (except 0.5 kHz) and high frequency audiometry. Significant reductions in transient evoked otoacoustic emission amplitude were found at 1.4 and 2 kHz in the Behcet's disease patients. There were no significant differences in reproducibility, stimulus intensity or stability, comparing the Behcet's disease patients and controls. Conclusion: Significantly lower mid-frequency amplitudes were found in Behcet's patients on transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing.