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Hearing Loss in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Abstract

Background and Aims

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has many characteristics of autoimmune diseases. Sensorineural hearing loss has been reported in many autoimmune diseases. Little is known about hearing loss in patients with IBD.

Methods

A prospective blinded comparative study was conducted over a 3-year period. IBD patients and controls underwent a complete otorhinolaryngeal examination and eudiometry test.

Results

Altogether 105 participants (76 patients and 29 controls) took part in this study. Mean age was 36, 51 % were males, and 40 % of the patients were presently hospitalized due to IBD exacerbation. Audiometric examination revealed that any hearing loss (mild to severe) was found in 29 (38 %) of the IBD population, compared to 4 (14 %) of the control group (p = 0.02). Extraintestinal manifestation (EIM) was present in 33/76 (43 %) of IBD patients. Any hearing loss and moderate to severe hearing loss were found in 17/33 (52 %) and 7/33 (21 %) in the EIM-positive group compared to 12/43 (28 %) and 4/43 (9 %) in the EIM-negative group (p = 0.036 and p = 0.14, respectively). Out of patients over the age of 40 with other EIMs, all 11/11 (100 %) of patients had any hearing loss compared to 8/12 (66 %) of patients over the age of 40 without other EIMs, p = 0.035.

Conclusions

Hearing loss may be another EIM of IBD. It is found in 38 % of IBD patients and in up to 52 % of patients with other EIMs and increases over the age of 40. Early hearing evaluation should be recommended to these high-risk IBD patients.

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Author contributions

Dr. Dov Wengrower was the principal investigator and study initiator and was responsible for the patient recruitment as well as data collection and analysis. Dr. Benjamin Koslowsky was responsible for writing the manuscript, collecting the data, performing the statistics, and helped recruit patients for the study. Dr. Uri Peleg was responsible for performing the hearing examinations and collecting data on the hearing test results in Shaare-Zedek Medical Center. Mrs. Betty Mazuz was responsible for patient coordination, explanations, and completion of the study in Shaare-Zedek Medical Center. Dr. Leore Cohen was responsible for data collection and analyzing the data throughout the study. Dr. Menahem Gross was responsible for performing the hearing examinations and collecting data on the hearing test results in Hadassah Medical Center. Prof. Eran Goldin was responsible for patient recruitment and study supervision. Dr. Chanan Shaul was the principal otolaryngologist in the study and performed interpretation and data collection and supervision of the study. Mrs. Chana Jacobson is thanked for collaborating our study.

Funding

This work was funded by the Mirsky Foundation in Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

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Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Digestive Diseases Institute, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Hebrew University Medical School, 12 Bayit St., 91031, Jerusalem, Israel

      Dov Wengrower, Benjamin Koslowsky, Betty Mazuz & Eran Goldin

    2. Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

      Uri Peleg & Chanan Shaul

    3. Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel

      Leore Cohen & Menahem Gross

    4. Department of Gastroenterolgy, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel

      Allin Ben-David

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    1. Dov Wengrower
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    Correspondence to Benjamin Koslowsky.

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    There was no conflict of interest by any of the authors.

    Additional information

    Dov Wengrower and Benjamin Koslowsky contributed equally to this study.

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    Wengrower, D., Koslowsky, B., Peleg, U. et al. Hearing Loss in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Dig Dis Sci 61, 2027–2032 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-016-4074-9

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-016-4074-9

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