Evaluation of Hearing Functions with Audiological Tests in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: Aim of this study was to show the effects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on auditory system using pure tone audiometer and tympanometric assessments and to compare these values with healthy controls. Methods: This study included 107 subjects: 57 RA pa­tients who were being followed at our clinic with a RA diagnosis and 50 healthy controls who had similar age and gender properties. Besides clinical and laboratory findings audiometric, and tympanometric tests and sta­pes reflex measurements were compared for all patients. Results: Results of this study showed statistically signifi­cant differences in air conduction thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 6 kHz frequencies between RA patients and con­trols. In RA patients, bone conduction was affected only at 4 kHz and more in left ear. Additionally, air-bone conduc­tion differences were significant except at 2 kHz. Although air-bone conduction difference was higher in the study group than the control group, this was not statistically sig­nificant. Similarly no significant difference was detected in stapes reflex and tympanometric measurements between RA patients and healthy controls statistically. Conclusion: This study showed that conduction type hearing loss is seen more frequently in RA patients and bone conduction is affected at high frequencies in particu­lar. Moreover, No significant differences were seen in sta­pes reflex, compliance and pressure measures between groups. J Clin Exp Invest 2016; 7 (1): 63-6