Vestibular function assessment in sudden hearing loss.

Objectives: To perform vestibular assessment using cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential, video head impulse test and caloric testing in patients with sudden hearing loss. Moreover, to evaluate the correlation of dizziness with vestibular tests and the correlation of vestibular tests with hearing prognosis.

Methods: This is an observational, longitudinal and prospective study, including participants diagnosed with sudden hearing loss. The participants underwent cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential, video head impulse test and caloric testing. The audiometric assessment was performed at the beginning and at the end of the follow-up. A value of p≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Seventeen patients were included in the study sample, with a mean age of 45.4±11.1 years. Five participants (29.41%) had dizziness and 15 (88.23%) had tinnitus. All participants underwent vestibular evaluation through cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential and video head impulse test, and 13 of them were evaluated through caloric testing. The cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential was considered altered in five (29.41%) participants, while 11 (64.71%) showed alterations at the ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential. The video head impulse test and the caloric testing were considered altered in seven (41.18%) and five (38.46%) participants, respectively. There was no statistically significant correlation between the clinical data and the results of vestibular tests or hearing recovery, nor between the results of vestibular tests and hearing recovery.

Conclusion: The assessment through vestibular evoked myogenic potential, video head impulse test and caloric testing showed vestibular involvement in some participants. However, it cannot be stated that the results of the vestibular tests are related to the hearing prognosis of sudden hearing loss.