Audiometric and electrophysiological correlations in sudden deafness.

Electrophysiological measures were collected over 3 years in 61 cases of sudden deafness. Electrocochleography (ECochG) and Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) using click stimuli were recorded down to threshold and compared with pure-tone and speech audiometry data. This study was intended to precise 1) localization of the disorder, 2) prognosis, 3) analysis of the contribution of different frequencies in click-evoked responses. The following results are: 1) In most cases the observations indicated that the inner ear was affected. 2) However, in 19 cases electrophysiological measures revealed a retrocochlear involvement. Four acoustic neuromas were evidenced by CT scan. In 3 of these, audiometric and electrophysiological thresholds returned merely to normal levels after medical treatment, while brainstem responses remained delayed. Thus in these cases recovery would seem to be related to release of vascular compression in the auditory internal meatus. 3) When the latencies of the VII nerve potential (N1) and wave V (PV) were short, and the therapy undertaken early, a good recovery was often obtained. 4) When recovery occurred on low frequencies only, the electrophysiological responses to the click showed slight latency increases.