Evaluation of hearing function in patients with lichen planus.

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic, autoimmune, inflammatory disease. We believe that tympanic membrane and outer ear canal can be affected by the disease and since it is an autoimmune disease inner ear involvement may be seen. The aim of this study was to evaluate hearing functions in patients with LP. Thirty patients with LP and 28 healthy controls were involved in the study. Pure tone audiometry, tympanogram and Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions tests were applied to the patients. When the airway hearing thresholds of the patient and control groups in the 125–8000 Hz frequency range were compared, statistically significant differences were found at 4000, 6000 and 8000 Hz frequencies in the right ear and at 125, 4000, 6000 and 8000 Hz frequencies in the left ear. In the LP patient group, 6 patients had sensorineural hearing loss, 3 patients had conductive hearing loss, and 2 patients had mixed hearing loss. Of the 3 patients with conductive hearing loss, 2 had cutaneous and 1 had both mucosal and cutaneous involvement. Of the patients with mixed hearing loss, 1 had cutaneous and 1 had both mucosal and cutaneous involvement. In patients with sensorineural hearing loss, 1 had mucosal, 3 had cutaneous, and 2 had both mucosal and cutaneous involvement. Sensorineural, conductive or mixed hearing loss can be observed in LP patients.