Background and Aim: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that affects multiple systems including the auditory and vestibular systems. Patients with diabetes mellitus complain of tinnitus and dizziness. The objective of this study is to assess the effects of diabetes mellitus types I and II on auditory and vestibular systems.
Methods: We compared pure-tone audiometric results and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) between 15 patients with diabetes mellitus type I (43.80 with SD 4.246), 15 patients with diabetes mellitus type II (48.13 with SD 2.973), and 10 normal volunteers (45.30 with SD 4.448). Age range of the participants was 40-50 years old.
Results: Audiometric results showed normal hearing in both types of diabetes mellitus. In contrast, comparing amplitude of cVEMPs between diabetes mellitus and control groups showed statistically significant differences (p<0.05).
Conclusion: In spite of normal audiometric results in patients with diabetes mellitus types I and II, there was abnormal vestibular responses involving vestibular end-organ and related central pathway.