급성 저음역 감각신경성 난청에서 호중구-림프구 비율 및 혈소판-림프구 비율의 의의

Abstract

Background and Objectives Acute low tone sensorineural hearing loss (ALHL), an acuteonsethearing loss limited to low tone, was thought to be a subtype of sudden sensorineural hearingloss (SSNHL) but also considered as new disease entity because it shows quite different symptoms,progress, and prognosis. More recently, however, it is thought that SSNHL results fromchronic inflammation and thrombosis. Some studies have reported that neutrophil-to-lymphocyteratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were high in SSNHL patients, and thatthey were significant as prognostic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significanceof NLR and PLR in ALHL. Subjects and Method From January 2009 to June 2019, we retrospectively studied 58 patientswho were diagnosed with ALHL. Characteristics of patients such as sex, age, symptomsand signs, the results of serologic test and pure tone audiometry were evaluated for recoveryand for recurrence. Also, we selected 58 people with the same age as control group. Results A total of 167 patients were identified, of whom a half was diagnosed with ALHL andthe other half with were the control group. Among the 58 patients, the mean age was 38.0±14.5years old, and 10 (17.2%) patients were male and 48 (82.8%) patients were female. Among thepatients, 35 (60.3%) were hospitalized and 23 (39.7%) were outpatients. For recovery, 38 (65.5%)patients fully recovered while 11 (19.0%) partially recovered, and 9 (15.5%) did not recover. Additionally,16 (27.6%) patients recurred later with similar symptoms. Between the patient groupand control group, there were significant differences in the total white blood cell count, neutrophilcount, NLR and PLR (p=0.015, 0.001, 0.002, and 0.025), but there was no significant differencesbetween the recovery group and non-recovery group in any laboratory findings. Also, NLRand PLR showed no significant differences between the recurred group and non-recurred group. Conclusion NLR and PLR in ALHL patients were relatively high compared to the controlgroup, but there were no significant differences between the recovery group and non-recoverygroup. Furthermore, there was no correlation between NLR and PLR with recurrence. HighNLR and PLR values in ALHL patients might reflect its inflammatory etiology, but there is lackevidence for them to serve as prognostic factors.