Risk of Developing Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Patients with Acute Otitis Media: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis

Acute Otitis Media (AOM) is one of the most common ear diseases. It is an inflammation within the middle ear cleft, located behind an intact tympanic membrane. Patients with AOM may exhibit symptoms and signs specific to ear disease, including pain, fever, bulging tympanic membrane, middle ear effusion, otorrhea and hearing loss [1]. Uncommon symptoms and signs of AOM include hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and nystagmus. Although both diagnosis and treatment of AOM have improved enormously, serious complications are still common albeit less frequent now than in the past. However, non-lifethreatening complications, such as hearing loss, frequently trouble many patients and have led to controversy regarding the importance and management of such complications [2].