Borrelia burgdorferi Infection Is Worth Screening to Investigate Sensorineural Hearing Loss Etiology: A Systematic Review

TL;DR

This review finds that Borrelia burgdorferi infection is linked to sensorineural hearing loss and should be considered in diagnosis.

Contribution

The study systematically reviews the prevalence of B. burgdorferi in SNHL cases and highlights its clinical relevance.

Findings

7.3% of SNHL patients tested positive for B. burgdorferi infection.

Tinnitus and vertigo were the most common symptoms in infected patients.

Combination therapy with steroids and ceftriaxone improved hearing recovery.

Abstract

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common hearing disorder prevalent. Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi) is a spirochete whose infection has been shown to result in SNHL. This systematic review aims to investigate the prevalence and association of B. burgdorferi infection in SNHL.

A systematic literature search on the databases Medline, Google Scholar, and UpToDate was performed. The study selection process was done in accordance with the PRISMA guideline. In brief, studies were selected first by title and abstract screening followed by a full‐text inspection. The study was included if the study reported the incidence of B. burgdorferi infection in patients with SNHL. The quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool. Data on study characteristics, patient demographics, audiological, microbiological, symptomatological, and therapeutical findings were extracted.

The study search retrieved a total of 8772 studies and 9 of them met out eligibility requirement. There were altogether 964 SNHL patients. In total, 71 (7.3%) were tested positive for B. burgdorferi infection. The commonest symptoms in infected SNHL patients were tinnitus (53%) and vertigo (47%). Patients treated with steroids along with ceftriaxone showed a higher hearing recovery rate.

B. burgdorferi infection is prevalent among patients with SNHL and should be investigated whenever no other reasons of hearing loss are established.

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