Association Between High Jugular Bulb and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Computed Tomography Based Study.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the correlation between high jugular bulb (HJB) and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) by collecting and analyzing data from patients diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) accompanied by HJB.

METHODS

A total of 62 patients with acute deafness admitted to the Otolaryngology ward of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from October 2023 to June 2024 were included. Criteria were based on HJB reaching or exceeding the cochlear base. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of HJB. Both groups underwent thin-slice CT, pure tone threshold testing, and a tinnitus questionnaire. Age, sex, affected side, jugular bulb height, tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) score, and pure tone average (PTA) before and after treatment were recorded. The impact of these parameters on hearing loss and prognosis was analyzed, focusing on whether the elevation degree of the jugular bulb affected outcomes in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

RESULTS

Before treatment, no statistically significant difference in average hearing threshold was found between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, both groups showed decreased average hearing thresholds (P<0.05), but the non-HJB group had significantly better improvement (P<0.01). Pre-treatment THI scores in the HJB group were significantly higher than in the non-HJB group (P<0.01). Post-treatment THI scores improved in both groups (P<0.05), with the non-HJB group showing significantly better outcomes (P<0.01). The effective treatment rate for patients with mild HJB (64.7%) was higher than those with severe HJB (42.9%), though not statistically significant (P>0.05). In the HJB group, admission and discharge PTA and THI scores were positively correlated with HJB values (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients with high jugular bulb tend to have poorer hearing recovery and worse tinnitus outcomes compared to those without HJB.