Autoimmune inner ear disease and axial ankylosing spondylitis
Pozharov I.V.¹, Mutovina Z.Yu.¹, Rozanova I.V.¹, Astakhova A.D.<sup>2

1</sup> Central Clinical Hospital of the Department for Presidential Affairs, Moscow
² Central State Medical Academy of the Department for Presidential Affairs, Moscow

Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is a syndrome characterized by progressive hearing loss and/or vertigo triggering by antibodies or immune cells which attack inner ear structures. In most cases, the disease manifests with progressing hearing loss which results in deafness. More than 50% of patients have vertigo. AIED is often accompanied by connective tissue disorders, i.e., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, Behçet’s disease, ANCA-associated vasculitis (granulomatosis with polyangiitis), relapsing polychondritis, nodular periarteritis etc. Rapid response to immunosuppressive therapy (corticosteroids, methotrexate, cyclophosphan, adalimumab, infliximab, B cell targeted treatment), plasmapheresis, intratympanic therapy, and cochlear implants is one of the key signatures of the disease. The paper uncovers current aspects of AIED epidemiology, etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment. Authors’ clinical case describes 33-year-old woman with AIED and HLA-B27-positive axial spondyloarthritis presented with systemic vertigo and progressive bilateral hearing loss (audiogram demonstrates bilateral neurosensory hearing loss). Corticosteroids provided rapid and stable improvement.

Key words: autoimmune inner ear disease, AIED, neurosensory hearing loss, ankylosing spondylitis, Behçet’s disease, treatment.

For citation: Pozharov I.V., Mutovina Z.Yu., Rozanova I.V., Astakhova A.D. Autoimmune inner ear disease and axial ankylosing spondylitis // RMJ. 2016. № 22. P. 1527–1531.