{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T02:25:17Z","timestamp":1790216717963,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,4]],"date-time":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1717459200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the hearing characteristics and causes of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in patients aged from 15 to 40 years, focusing on audiological outcomes one year after the diagnosis. Methods: The medical records of individuals with SSNHL who were referred to our tertiary-level audiologic center were reviewed. All patients had undergone comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, including high-resolution 3D-FLAIR delayed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), and screening for coagulation, infectious, and autoimmune diseases. Results: Overall, 56 patients (mean age 28.1 \u00b1 7.6 years) were included in the study. The hearing threshold in the affected ear improved significantly from 56.0 \u00b1 18.0 dB at the diagnosis to 46.9 \u00b1 22.3 dB after one year (p = 0.02). The degree of hearing loss, audiometric configurations, hearing improvements, and adherence to hearing treatments showed considerable variability among patients. Aural fullness, tinnitus, and hyperacusis were the predominant symptoms associated with SSNHL, and their prevalence decreased significantly over time. The diagnostic protocol led to the identification of the specific cause of SSNHL in 75% (42\/56) of patients. The known etiology was found to be otological (39.3%), infectious (21.4%), autoimmune (7.1%), vascular (5.4%), or neoplastic (1.8%). In particular, Meni\u00e8re\u2019s disease (n = 12), isolated cochlear endolymphatic hydrops (n = 6), HSV-1 (n = 5), and EBV (n = 4) infections were the most frequent causes of SSNHL. Conclusions: The identification of the specific etiology of SSNHL may facilitate a more personalized approach to management and treatment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13113303","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,5]],"date-time":"2024-06-05T08:43:54Z","timestamp":1717577034000},"page":"3303","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Patients Aged from 15 to 40 Years"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5511-8511","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mirko","family":"Ald\u00e8","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Audiology Unit, Department of Specialist Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4445-910X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Umberto","family":"Ambrosetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5986-7117","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gioia","family":"Piatti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of Bronchopneumology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Camilla","family":"Romanini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eliana","family":"Filipponi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Audiology Unit, Department of Specialist Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7514-5624","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Federica","family":"Di Berardino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Audiology Unit, Department of Specialist Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8116-4108","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diego","family":"Zanetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Audiology Unit, Department of Specialist Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lorenzo","family":"Pignataro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Otolaryngology Unit, Department of Specialist Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6008-3010","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanna","family":"Cantarella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Otolaryngology Unit, Department of Specialist Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4574-2193","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefania","family":"Barozzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1177\/1084713811408349","article-title":"Sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A review of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis","volume":"15","author":"Kuhn","year":"2011","journal-title":"Trends Amplif."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"S1","article-title":"Clinical Practice Guideline: Sudden Hearing Loss (Update)","volume":"161","author":"Chandrasekhar","year":"2019","journal-title":"Otolaryngol. 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