Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in elderly patients: Univariate and multivariate analysis of potential clinical prognostic factors

Objective: With an estimated incidence of 77 new cases per 100,000 population aged 65 years or above, idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is a common clinical finding in elderly patients. There is a shortage of information on the clinical factors capable of predicting hearing recovery and response to therapy. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively investigate the prognostic value of clinical variables in relation to hearing recovery in a cohort of consecutive elderly patients with ISSNHL. Study design: This investigation considered 49 consecutive elderly patients (>= 65 years of age) treated for ISSNHL. Clinical parameters (signs, symptoms, comorbidities and treatments) and audiometric data were analysed using univariate and multivariate statistical approaches for prognostic purposes, i.e. to identify any correlation with hearing recovery, expressed according to Wilson 's criteria. Results/Conclusions: No clinical signs and symptoms, and no specific therapeutic approaches correlated significantly with hearing recovery after ISSNHL in our multivariate model (p>0.05). In the univariate analysis, vascular disease correlated significantly with hearing gain after treatment (p>0.01). Further studies based on larger cohorts (especially in a prospective setting) are needed to further elucidate the prognostic role of clinical parameters in ISSNHL involving elderly patients.