Effect of vitamin B12 deficiency on otoacoustic emissions

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between otoacoustic emission (OAE) values and cochlear function in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency and no evidence of symptomatic hearing loss. Two groups were studied: Group 1: patients with vitamin B12 deficiency; Group 2: a matched control group of patients with normal vitamin B12 levels. There was no evidence of symptomatic hearing loss in either group. Transiently evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) and spontaneous OAEs (SOAEs) were recorded. A comparative analysis of the studied parameters revealed that results at TEOAE 1000, SOAEs 1500 and SOAEs 4000 Hz were somewhat lower in the vitamin B12 deficient group compared with the control group. According to our findings, there was a significant association between vitamin B12 deficiency and cochlear dysfunction. We recommend that routine vitamin B12 serum levels be determined when evaluating patients for symptomatic hearing loss.