Relationship between Glaucoma , Pseudoexfoliation and Pseudoexfoliative Glaucoma with Sensorineural Deafness

Abstract

Objective: To study whether there is an increase in the frequency of sensorineural hearing loss among patients suffering from primary open angle glaucoma, pseudoexfoliation syndrome and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the ophthalmology and ENT clinic of prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein military hospital between Jan.2012 and Aug 2013. All patients who attended to the ophthalmology clinic and found to have primary open angle glaucoma, pseudoexfoliation syndrome or pseudoexfoliative glaucoma were referred to the ENT clinic for hearing assessment after performing detailed ophthalmological-examination. Those results were compared with that of a control group. Results: Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 6% of patients in the control group and in 9.7% (p value > 0.05) of patients with primary open angle glaucoma. On the other hand it was found in 34.3 %(p value < 0.05) and 30.3 %(p value < 0.05) among patients with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma and pseudoexfoliation syndrome respectively. Conclusion: This study provides evidence regarding the effect of pseudoexfoliation of the eye and its severity on the frequency of sensorineural hearing loss which in turn suggests that pseudoexfoliation syndrome is a systemic disease which may have otological involvement manifested as sensorineural hearing loss.