The nystagmus and the therapeutic effects on early-diagnosed cases of sudden deafness.

We investigated the hearing prognoses of early diagnosed cases of sudden deafness. We tried to find the most reliable factor to determine the prognosis of hearing loss. Of various possibilities that affect the prognosis; the period of onset to first examination, therapeutic manner and vestibular test findings, the findings of caloric test and spontaneous nystagmus showed much better correlation with the hearing prognosis than others. Thus, we presume the vestibular dysfunction in cases of sudden deafness may reflect the extension and severity of inner ear involvement.