Sensory-neural hearing loss in pseudoexfoliation syndrome

AIM: To evaluate relationship between ocular pseudoexfoliationsyndrom(
PXF) andsensory-neural hearingloss (SNHL).
·METHODS: This prospective case-control study was designed
on patients who referred to a general ophthalmic clinic at
Imam Khomeini Medical Center, Urmia, Iran (March 2010
through November 2010). On routine ophthalmic
examination, patients diagnosed with ocular PXF were
referred to the ENT department and, selected cases (after
evaluating inclusion and exclusion criteria) were referred to
Audiometric Department. Pure tone hearing threshold level
(HTL) was measured at 1, 2, 3 kHz for each ear and was
compared with International Standard (ISO 7029) median age
associated hearing loss at 1, 2, 3 kHz (AAHL).
·RESULTS : Overall 21 of 50 patients (42.0%) had a higher
HTL than the ISO 7029 median AAHL at 1, 2 and 3kHz, which
included 14 ears of 23 patients in the male group (30.4%)
and 21 ears of 27 patients in the female group (38.8%).
Approximately 12.0% of patients had glaucoma at the same
time, however; no significant correlation was found in SNHL
prevalence and severity between PXF patient and patients
with simultaneous glaucoma. SNHL was more common in
patients with ocular PXF compared to their age-sex matched
controls ( <0.05).
·CONCLUSION: Most of patients with ocular PXF had SNHL
compared to their age- sex matched controls, which could be
due to PXF fibrils in the inner ear. These findings suggest PXF
could be a systemic disease