Investigation of the prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss based on propensity score matching: a retrospective observational study

Introduction The aetiology, management and prognosis of idiopathic Sdden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (ISSNHL) are still uncertain despite adequate investigation. Objective We conducted the present study to investigate the possible relationship between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the prognosis of ISSNHL based on PSM. Methods This was a retrospective observational study. Data and statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS statistical program (SPSS 19.0). PSM was performed using STATA (15.0). Results NLR = 3.42 was the cut-off value. After PSM, 84 pairs of patients were successfully matched. The number of patients in the effective group with the NLR < 3.42 and NLR < 3.42 were significantly different ( P < 0.001). Conclusion The NLR is an inexpensive and reliable index to predict the ISSNHL. We hold the view that the NLR can be a reliable factor for clinical doctors to predict the prognosis in ISSNHL. To further prove that the NLR is a powerful prognostic factor in ISSNHL, larger prospective studies are required in the future.