To explore the correlations of different appearances of labyrinthine 3D-FLAIR MRI with clinical features and prognosis in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).

Clinical data of patients with unilateral ISSNHL hospitalized from May 2017 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the results of 3D-FLAIR MRI, the patients were divided into three groups including hyperintense with absorption, hyperintense without absorption and normal. The differences and correlations among the three groups in clinical characteristics (gender, age, deafness side, duration, treatment days, dizziness/vertigo, basic diseases, vestibular function, deafness classification and typing) and prognosis were analyzed by SPSS 20.0 software.

Data were collected from 1 245 cases, including 739 (59.36%) with normal signal, 288 (23.13%) hyperintense without absorption, and 218 (17.51%) hyperintense with absorption. The side ratio, treatment days, dizziness/vertigo incidence, vestibular dysfunction, deafness classification and typing were different among the three groups (P<0.001). The incidence of right side was significantly higher in both the hyperintense with and without absorption groups than that in the normal. The vestibular dysfunction was more common in the hyperintense with absorption group than in the normal and hyperintense without absorption groups. It showed statistical differences in the dizziness/vertigo incidence, deafness classification, treatment days, and deafness typing compared between groups, which was the most significant in the hyperintense with absorption group, followed by the hyperintense without absorption group. There was no statistical difference in the total effective rate among the three groups (P=0.139), whereas a significant difference in the recovery rate (P<0.001). The prognosis was significantly correlated with duration, age, treatment days and dizziness/vertigo in the normal group (allP<0.001), correlated with duration and treatment days in the hyperintense with absorption group (bothP<0.001), only correlated with the duration in the hyperintense without absorption group (P<0.001).

3D-FLAIR MRI manifestation is closely related to the clinical features and efficacy of ISSNHL. It is helpful to clarify the pathology of inner ear, which is expected to be a new imaging indicator for disease evaluation.

Hearing loss, sudden; Magnetic resonance imaging; Clinical features; Prognosis