Evaluating TSH as a prognostic factor for hearing outcomes in sudden sensorineural hearing loss

BACKGROUND: A correlation between thyroid function and the occurrence of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has been reported. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the treatment outcomes for SSNHL in patients with thyroid dysfunction using TSH as a parameter. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective review of the medical records of 41 patients who had previously been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and subsequently experienced SSNHL. According to Siegel's criteria, participants who showed complete or partial recovery were classified as the recovery group, and participants who showed slight improvement or no improvement were classified as the non-recovery group. RESULTS: The final hearing gain and TSH level showed a significant negative correlation. In subgroup analysis, non-recovery group showed significantly higher TSH than recovery group. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: This study results showed that TSH level is negatively correlated to hearing gain in SSNHL. Our authors suggest the possibility of TSH being a prognostic factor for SSNHL treatment.