Sensorineural Deafness in Patients of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Uttar Pradesh: A Pilot Study

Abstract

B/L symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss has long been associated with diabetes Mellitus. Microangiopathy associated with thickening of the basement membrane of small vessels has been implicated as a major source. This study was done to observe the predominant site of lesion whether cochlear or retrocochlear in patients of diabetic sensorineural hearing loss. This was a random study. Forty two patients with diabetic B/L symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss were selected in a tertiary referral centre. All the patients selected were of diabetic B/L symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. The study was designed to show the predominant site of lesion whether cochlear or retrocochlear in patients of diabetes with or without noise exposure. The parameter for inferring blood sugar control was level of glycosylated haemoglobin (Hb1AC). The incidence of the classical symptoms of diabetes mellitus namely polyurea, polydypsia and polyphagia were seen in (40.8%) of patients. The present study was designed to show that even early diabetic patients without symptoms of hearing loss had mild bilaterally symmetrical purely sensorineural hearing loss (32.65%) signifying the diabetic hypoacusis is present significantly even in early aural symptomless diabetics. On follow up it was revealed that the hearing loss of these patients was irreversible. The predominant site of lesion was found to be cochlear by performing Chi Square test P < .05 and so this is applicable to the general population of Uttar Pradesh.