Cochleo-vestibular Profile of Patients Living With Diabetes Mellitus in Kinshasa: Case of Boyambi Hospital

Background : diabetes is described as one of the risk factors for cochleovestibular disorders due to the microangiopathies and diabetic neuropathy it causes. The objective is to identify the factors associated with cochleovestibular disorders in patients living with diabetes mellitus in a hospital setting in Kinshasa. Methods : This is a cross-sectional study that included diabetic patients at the BOYAMBI Hospital Center in Kinshasa during the period from April 2024 to June 2024, a duration of 3 months. They were all subjected to a thorough ENT examination in order to detect cochleovestibular disorders. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software. Results : A total of 179 patients of both sexes, all suffering from diabetes, were enrolled. The average age was 53 ± 14 years. Deafness was the most common cochlear disorder found in diabetic subjects, or 93.3%. And as for vestibular disorders: vertigo was mainly noted in 20.7% and the Barany caloric test was pathological in 12.8% of patients. Deafness was correlated with the duration of diabetes mellitus and its severity also increased with the duration of diabetes. The glycemic threshold from which we had more than 90% of cochleo-vestibular disorders was 226mg/dl with an HbA1 of more than 7%. The determining factors of cochleovestibular disorders were: the presence of: otalgia, hypoacusis, otorrhea, tinnitus, nausea, headache, palpitations, insomnia, feeling of heaviness, memory loss as well as the history of acute otitis media. Conclusion : diabetes mellitus from a certain threshold of glycemia and glycated hemoglobin is correlated with the appearance of cochleovestibular disorders.