Role of viral and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Sudden deafness constitutes a challenge in terms of the etiopathogenic diag nosis. The causative origin of sudden deafness usually remains unknown. How ever, available evidence suggests that viral and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infe ction could be one factor involved. In order to analyze the incidence of th ese infectious agents, a microbiology study was carried out during the acut e phase of the disease, and during convalescence, in 24 patients (17 men an d 7 women; mean age 39.7 pears; range 17-63 years) with idiopathic sudden h earing loss (SHL) according to previously published criteria. In the acute phase most of the patients presented IgG antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus ( n = 23), herpes simplex virus (n = 24). parainfluenza virus (n = 24), varic ella-zoster virus (n = 24) and cytomegalovirus (n = 20). Results obtained f rom 3 patients suggested the existence of a recent infectious process cause d by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (IgM +) in 1 patient, Mycoplasma (IgM(+)) and in fluenza A virus (complement fixation titer > 1/64) in another and parainflu enza virus seroconversion (a fourfold higher titer between the acute phase and convalescence) in the third. In conclusion, the low incidence of docume nted positive serological tests in our series (12.5%) may be due to the pre sence of pathological situations other than acute infection and does not ju stify routine serological studies in patients with SHL.