Hearing status in brucellosis

Background: Although brucellosis can lead to multisystem complications, involvement of the ear in brucellosis is rarely reported in the literature. The purpose of this study was to assess the hearing status of patients with brucellosis. Study Design: Thirty-two patients with brucellosis were included in the study. Pure tone and speech audiometry and tympanometry were performed in the patients. Results: The mean pure tone averages of the patients were within normal limits and were similar in both ears ( P > 0.05). The pure tone averages of the patients with or without anti- Brucella treatment were not significantly different ( P > 0.05) and were within the normal limits. When the hearing levels of these patients were compared at the frequencies of 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 Hz, there was no significant difference as well ( P > 0.05). Conclusions: Peripheral brucellosis does not appear to be associated with hearing loss. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002;127:97-100.)