Abstract: Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of the patients suffering from sudden senserineural hearing loss (SSNHL) with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and to investigate the possible pathogenesis. Methods: The clinical materials of thirsty-five patients with SSNHL complicated with vertigo were retrospectively analyzed.The clinical information, including the traits of vertigo and prognosis of hearing loss of the patients in SSNHL with BPPV group (n=9), and SSNHL with non-BPPV group (n=26) were compared. Results: All patients had profound hearing loss and unsatisfied prognosis of hearing loss, and the response rate was 17.1%,the effective rate was 11.4%,and the curative rate was 5.7%. 25.7% of all cases were diagnosed of BPPV by medical history and postural tests, who had heavier hearing loss than the others. And BPPV comlicated with SSNHL was often found within 1 week after the hearing loss (average value:4.1 d), and all on the same side with the hearing loss ear. BPPV tended to happen in total deafness(6 cases,66.7%)and flat type(3 cases,33.3%),and were often involved in horizontal semicircular canal (6 cases,66.7%) and posterior semicircular canal(3 cases,33.3%). The patients with SSNHL complicated with BPPV needed more times of reduction maneuver (average value:2.3 times), with a satisfied therapeutic effect for reducing the vertigo of the patients. Conclusion: SSNHL complicated with BPPV has a high morbidity in the patients with heavy hearing loss, and often affect the horizontal semicircular canal, which needs the repeated reduction maneuver.

Key words: sudden sensorineural hearing loss, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, hearing lose, prognosis