Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome

PURPOSE: To determine hearing thresholds at sound frequencies important for speech comprehension in subjects with ocular pseudoexfoliation (PXF) and to compare them with that of controls without PXF. METHODS: Eighty-three subjects with ocular PXF and 83 age and sex matched controls without PXF were enrolled in this case-control study. Pure tone audiometry (bone conduction) was performed at 1, 2 and 3 kilohertz (KHz) in all subjects. Thresholds were compared to an age and sex stratified standard (ISO7029) and between study groups. Hearing loss was defined as sum of tested hearing thresholds (HTL-1,2,3) lower than the ISO7029 standard median. RESULTS: The study included 60 male and 23 female subjects in each group. Hearing loss was present in 147 of 166 (88.6%) of examined ears in the case group vs 89 of 166 (53.6%) in the control group (P < 0.001; odds ratio [OR] = 6.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.49-11.79). Overall 78 subjects (94.0%) in the case group vs 58 subjects (69.9%) in the control group had hearing loss in one or both ears (P < 0.001; OR=6.72; 95%CI, 2.42-18.62). Hearing thresholds at each of the examined frequencies and the HTL-1,2,3 were also significantly higher in individuals with PXF. Although glaucoma was significantly more common in subjects with PXF (51.8% vs 22.9%, P < 0.001), it was not associated with hearing loss in any of the study groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hearing thresholds at frequencies which are important for speech comprehension are significantly worse in individuals with ocular PXF as compared to matched controls. This finding may support the multi-organ nature of PXF syndrome.