Sensorineural hearing loss in chronic otitis media

Although many studies have demonstrated an association between chronic otitis media (COM) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), there still remains disagreement about the relationship. A retrospective study was conducted to examine the relationship between sensorineural hearing loss and chronic otitis media. Forty-one patients met the following criteria: unilateral COM and no history of head injury, meningitis or previous otological surgery. The differences in preoperative bone conduction threshold between diseased and control (contralateral normal) ear were statistically significant (P < 0.01) and varied from 5.24 to 9.02 dB across the frequency range. The effect of duration of disease on the degree of SNHL was also analysed but no correlation was found. The presence of cholesteatoma and/or ossicular erosion was not associated with a significantly increased risk of sensorineural hearing loss.