A comparative study of mumps deafness and idiopathic profound sudden deafness

Summary We performed a 10-year comparative study on 95 cases (98 ears) of mumps deafness and 97 cases (97 ears) of profound sudden deafness and found the following results. The age of onset of deafness was less than 9 years in the majority of patients with mumps deafness, while it was frequently 30–50 years in those patients with sudden deafness. Among these latter patients, no cases occurred under 9 years of age. The incidence of tinnitus and vestibular symptoms was more frequent in the patients with sudden deafness, but no significant difference was noted in cases over 10 years of age. When determining prognosis, no cases of hearing improvement were encountered in mumps deafness, while about 70% of sudden deafness showed improvement.