(0911) Clinical Profile of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Several theories have been proposed to explain the onset of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients’ exposure to risk factors for developing hearing loss was heightened. We aimed to describe the main clinical and auditory characteristics of patients with SSNHL during this period, and to correlate hearing recovery in individuals infected and not infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: Cohort study of patients with SSNHL in a tertiary care center between 2020 and 2022. Patients underwent RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 virus, were divided according to its results and followed-up for 120 days for sequential audiological examinations. Hearing levels were recorded using pure tone average (PTA) from 500Hz until 4Hz, and a subgroup comparison was statistically analyzed. Furthermore, patients were submitted to imaging and blood work tests.

Results: A total of 52 patients were analyzed: 40 with unilateral (76.9%) and 12 with bilateral (23.1%) involvement. Of them, 28.8% of individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (9 unilateral and 6 bilateral cases). Those with severe cases of COVID-19 contracted the disease prior to vaccination and were more prone to simultaneous bilateral SSNHL. Additionally, hearing recovery was slower, less frequent, and overall poorer throughout the follow-up, when compared to milder COVID-19 cases and those with unilateral hearing loss (p = 0.013).

Conclusions: We observed a higher incidence of simultaneous bilateral SSNHL in unvaccinated patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Hearing recovery differed between the two groups, with worse prognosis for bilateral cases with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Those infected who presented unilateral involvement showed tendency towards complete hearing recovery.