Page 37 - Portuguese Journal - SPORL - Vol 61. Nº2

Characterization of the vestibular

function in an otosclerosis population

– a pilot case-control study

Original Article

Authors Abstract

Objectives: Characterization of the vestibular
Miguel Campos Lopes function in an otosclerosis population, and its
Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, Portugal comparison with a healthy population.
Study Design: Case-control study.
Alexandra Correia Material and Methods: Patients with clinical/
Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, Portuga
audiological suspicion of otosclerosis (surgically
Hélder Silva confirmed) and healthy controls matched for
Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, Portugal age and sex were recruited. Vestibular function
was evaluated using the Video Head Impulse
Natália Oliveira Test and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI)
Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, Portugal questionnaire.
Results: A total of 24 participants (12 cases and
Diana Ribeiro 12 controls) were included, of whom 91.6% were
Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, Portugal female, with a mean age of 44±2 years. The mean
semicircular canal gain for each canal did not
Vanessa Neves show a statistically significant difference between
Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, Portugal
the two groups. On the other hand, the DHI scores
Vera Miranda differed significantly between the two groups (24.1
Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, Portugal vs. 6.3; Mann-Whitney p<0.01).
Conclusion: It is possible to verify a subjective
Carlos Carvalho functional compromise of balance in patients
Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, Portugal with otosclerosis, which does not appear to be
associated with dysfunction of the semicircular
canals.
Keywords: Otosclerosis; Vestibular Function; Video
Head Impulse Test; Dizziness Handicap Inventory.

Introduction
Otosclerosis is one of the most common
otologic diseases, with an estimated
prevalence of 0.3–0.4%. It affects the female
sex predominantly and typically presents
in the third and fourth decades of life. Its
clinical course is characterized by progressive
conductive hearing loss secondary to
otosclerotic footplate fixation, which can
Correspondence: progress to cochlear involvement and
Miguel Campos Lopes sensorineural hearing loss.
1
miguelcamposlopes@outlook.com The hearing component of otosclerosis is well
Article received on April 9, 2023. known and comprehensively described in the
Accepted for publication on May 26, 2023. literature. However, the evidence regarding
2,3

Volume 61 . Nº2 . June 2023 179