Investigation of auditory function in patients with systemic sclerosis
Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery,
Vol. 12 No. 1 (2026),
10 November 2026
Abstract
Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune connective tissue disease that can affect multiple organs. Although hearing loss (HL) is not a common complaint in patients with SSc, auditory involvement may occur and potentially affect their quality of life.
Aim: This study aimed to investigate auditory function in patients with SSc compared with healthy individuals.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 51 patients with SSc and 47 healthy participants.
The study was conducted at Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2023. Auditory function was evaluated using pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 27, IBM Corp., USA), and the significance level was set at p < 0.05.
Results: The prevalence of HL was 27.5% in patients with SSc and 2.1% in the healthy control group (p < 0.001). Patients with SSc had significantly higher odds of HL after adjustment for age and gender (OR: 11.30, 95% CI: 1.25–98.64). No significant associations were found between hearing thresholds and anti-Scl-70 or anticentromere antibodies (p > 0.05 for both).
Conclusion: Sensorineural hearing loss was the most common type of HL detected in patients with SSc who reported no hearing difficulties in daily life. An elevated hearing threshold at 8 kHz may be an early sign of auditory dysfunction. Therefore, annual hearing screening should be considered for early detection and timely management of auditory impairment in patients with SSc.
- Systemic sclerosis, auditory function, hearing loss
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References
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