OBJECTIVETo clarify the different prognostic characteristics between profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and total SSNHL.

METHODSThe patients with SSNHL who visited Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital from June 2007 to September 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. All the 204 patients, with pure tone average (PTA) threshold more than 90 dB, were enrolled and divided into two groups, including total SSNHL and profound SSNHL groups. The relationship between recovery rate and prognostic factors including the age, complications, time period between onset and therapy was analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 57 cases of total SSNHL and 147 cases of profound SSNHL in this series. Tinnitus was complained in more than 90% of the patients in both groups, which was higher than that of dizziness and ear fullness. Dizziness was present in 64.9% (37/57) patient with total SSNHL group and 45.6% (67/147) patients with profound SSNHL, which had significant difference between the two groups (χ(2) = 5.72, P = 0.017). The PTA threshold improvement in total SSNHL group and profound SSNHL group was (36.4 ± 19.3) dB and (40.2 ± 21.3) dB respectively, which was no significant difference between the two groups (t = 1.165, P = 0.245). The cured patients were all those received therapy within 1 week following the onset of SSNHL, which was of 2.6% (1/38) patients in the total SSNHL group and 14.3% (14/98) patients in the profound SSNHL group (P = 0.045). Furthermore, 3.5% (2/57) patients in total SSNHL group as well as 29.9% (44/147) patients in profound SSNHL group obtained a good result with PTA threshold ≤ 50 dB after therapy (χ(2) = 15.92, P = 0.001). In addition, the favorable prognosis was related with the onset-therapy time point(P = 0.001), but not related to the patients' age.

CONCLUSIONProfound SSNHL and total SSNHL though both with PTA threshold > 90 dB had significant differences recovery rate and need to be studied separately.