Hearing loss in patients with Behçet's disease: an audiological and transient evoked otoacoustic emission study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate hearing loss in patients with Behçet's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four consecutive cases of Behçet's disease and 24 sex- and age-matched controls were included in this study. Pure tone and high frequency audiometric tests were performed and pure tone average hearing thresholds calculated for both groups. Transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing was also performed. RESULTS: Pure tone audiometry showed a sensorineural hearing loss in 15 of the Behçet's disease ears. Hearing thresholds were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group, on both pure tone frequency (except 0.5 kHz) and high frequency audiometry. Significant reductions in transient evoked otoacoustic emission amplitude were found at 1.4 and 2 kHz in the Behçet's disease patients. There were no significant differences in reproducibility, stimulus intensity or stability, comparing the Behçet's disease patients and controls. CONCLUSION: Significantly lower mid-frequency amplitudes were found in Behçet's patients on transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing.