[Clinical observation on sensorineural hearing loss secondary to secretory otitis media].

OBJECTIVE: To study whether secretory otitis media causes sensorineural deafness or not, especially in stubborn cases. METHODS: The 0.5 kHz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz BC stimuli were administered to 164 patients with secretory otitis media, and their BC loss calculated. As a control, BC threshold was also recorded in the contralateral ear of 66 unilaterally deaf patients. RESULTS: BC threshold was raised in 94 out of 164 patients (57.3%). There was no statistically significant difference between bilaterally and unilaterally deaf groups. All patients had similar BC hearing loss in the same frequency, but had different BC hearing loss in different frequencies and the most serious loss was in 4 kHz. CONCLUSION: The rate of sensorineural deafness caused by secretory otitis media is higher than expected. Frequency and intensity of hearing loss between unilaterally and bilaterally deaf patients with secretory otitis media were no different. All ears had different hearing loss in different frequencies, but the most serious hearing loss was in high frequency and it had the tendency to spread to the speech frequency.