Disorders of the balance system and hearing organ as symptoms of systemic diseases
The study aimed at the retrospective analysis of the patients with disorders of the balance system and/or hearing organ in the course of systemic diseases. Among 1,208 patients (727 women and 481 men) who were hospitalised in the Department of Otolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology with Audiological and Phoniatric Units at Military Medical Academy University Clinical Hospital in Lodz within the years 2009-2010 and revealed disorders of the balance system, tinnitus and/or hearing impairment, 300 case histories were chosen randomly, including 182 women aged 20-85 and 118 men aged 17-90. Each patient underwent a detailed interview, otorhinolaryngological and otoneurological examination, tonal, verbal and impedance audiometry, suprathreshold audiometric tests (SISI, TDT), tinnitus intensity and frequency evaluation, auditory brainstem response (ABR), videonystagmography (pendulum tracking, positional nystagmus described in five positions by Nylen, evaluation of nystagmus provoked by a thermal stimulation in Fitzgerald-Hallpike bicaloric testing), additional imaging studies of the head and/or cervical spine, including cranial arteries ultrasonography and routine laboratory tests. Among all the systemic diseases the diseases of the balance system were most common in both sexes (women – 41.76%, men – 44.91%, 43% altogether). Endocrine diseases were the second most often disorders (20.67%) and occurred more often in women (28.02%) than in men (9.32%). Neurological diseases were present in 8.33% of the cases (women – 10.44%, men – 5.08%). Malignant neoplasms were found in 4.3% of the cases, whereas autoimmune diseases occurred highly infrequently (2.33%). A number of the systemic diseases was accompanied by concomitant disorders of the balance system and hearing organ. Every physician, particularly GP, should take into consideration possible vertigo, tinnitus and hearing deterioration in the course of the systemic diseases.