The Influence of Carotid and Vertebral Doppler Ultrasonography and Brain MRI Abnormalities on Hearing Levels, Tinnitus Intensities and Frequencies

Objectives: This study aimed to analyse the potential influence of abnormalities detected through carotid–vertebral ultrasonography and brain MRI on pure-tone averages (PTAs) and the frequency and intensity of tinnitus. Methods: 423 participants with subjective tinnitus were enrolled in this investigation. All patients underwent carotid– vertebral ultrasonography, brain MRI, and pure-tone audiometry, including tinnitus matching. Results: The median values for tinnitus onset indicated chronic tinnitus in most cases. Regarding tinnitus location, left-sided symptoms (32%) and bilateral symptoms (44%) were the most prevalent. In analysing the effects of abnormalities detected by carotid–vertebral ultrasonography on PTAs, a statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p = 0.0037). Specifically, individuals with intimal hyperplasia had significantly higher PTAs (p = 0.02), as did those with carotid artery plaques (p = 0.005). However, no significant differences in PTAs were noted in relation to carotid artery stenosis (p = 0.07). Similar trends emerged regarding tinnitus intensity (p = 0.013), with significantly higher values observed in the presence of any carotid–vertebral ultrasonography abnormalities. In contrast, tinnitus frequencies were not significantly affected (p = 0.401). Regarding brain MRI findings, Fazekas scores of 2 (p = 0.02) and 3 (p = 0.0052) significantly influenced PTAs. For tinnitus intensity, Fazekas scores of 2 (p = 0.0027) and 3 (p = 0.0005), and the presence of acoustic neuromas (p = 0.019), significantly impacted the intensity values. However, tinnitus frequencies were not significantly (p = 0.36) influenced by brain MRI abnormalities. Conclusions: The findings of this study show that carotid–vertebral ultrasonography and brain MRI abnormalities significantly influence PTAs and tinnitus intensities.