Clinical Analysis Of Posterior Circulation Ischemia As A Potential Cause Of Unilateral Sudden Deafness

Objective:To explore the possible causes of sudden deafness by studying the correlation between the lateral classification of unilateral sudden deafness,hearing loss degree and imaging features of vertebral artery and basilar artery.Methods:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,175 patients diagnosed as unilateral sudden deafness,laboratory tests,imaging and medical records from June2014 to June 2018 in our hospital were retrospectively collected.Patients were divided into groups according to the characteristics of the affected ear and vertebrobasilar artery imaging,and their correlations were analyzed.Patients were divided into 5 groups according to the degree of hearing loss,and their correlation with vertebrobasilar artery characteristics was analyzed.Results:1.The stenosis / curvature of vertebral artery(x~2=8.031,P=0.045)and basilar artery(x~2=5.091,P=0.034)have statistically significant correlation with hearing loss side respectively.2.Univariate analysis of predictors of hearing loss showed that patients with left hearing loss were associated with right(OR=2.89,95%CI:1.77-2.77,P=0.036)and bilateral vertebral artery stenosis / tortuosity(OR=4.43,95%CI:1.49-13.23,P=0.008),while patients without basilar artery stenosis / tortuosity were associated with patients with right hearing loss(OR=0.31,95%CI:0.11-0.90,P=0.030),while other factors were not statistically significant.Multivariate analysis matched by age and sex showed that stenosis / tortuosity of right vertebral artery was statistically correlated with hearing loss of left ear(OR=2.83,95%CI: 1.05-7.67,P=0.040).3.The degree of hearing loss in patients with sudden deafness is not related to the imaging features of vertebral artery(x~2 = 3.897,P=0.273)and basilar artery(x~2= 3.339,P=0.068).Conclusion:1.In patients with sudden deafness,the lateral nature of hearing loss is correlated with whether the vertebrobasilar artery is stenotic/tortuous,while the stenosis/tortuosity of the right vertebral artery is correlated with the hearing loss of the left ear.2.Sudden deafness may be the precursor of posterior circulation infarction,especially in elderly patients with vascular risk factors.3.This study shows the importance of vascular evaluation in the evaluation and treatment of sudden deafness by exploring the correlation between the lateral classification and hearing loss degree of unilateral sudden deafness and the imaging features of vertebral artery and basilar artery.