Otolithic organ function in patients with profound sensorineural hearing loss

• Main Authors: Yujuan Zhou, Yongzhen Wu, Jing Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2016-06-01
• Series: Journal of Otology
• Subjects: Profound sensorineural hearing loss; PSHL; Otolithic organs; Vestibular-evoked myogenic potential; VEMP
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1672293016300265

Profound sensorineural hearing loss (PSHL) is not uncommonly encountered in otology. In clinics, there is a high incidence of otolithic damage in patients with PSHL, but relevant reports are few. Sharing a continuous membranous structure and similar receptor cell ultrastructures, the cochlea and vestibule may be susceptible to the same harmful factors. Disorders of the inner ear may result in a variety of manifestations, including vertigo, spatial disorientation, blurred vision, impaired articulation, and hearing impairment. Considering the diversity of clinical symptoms associated with PSHL with otolithic dysfunction, it may be frequently misdiagnosed, and objective means of testing the function of otolithic organs should be recommended for hearing-impaired patients. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) via air-conducted sound are of great importance for the diagnosis of otolithic function. Hearing devices such as cochlear implants are commonly accepted treatments for PSHL, and early identification and treatment of vestibular disorders may increase the success rate of cochlear implantation. Therefore, it is necessary to increase awareness of otolithic functional states in patients with PSHL.