A patient undergoing chemotherapy experiences sensorineural hearing loss. What causes this hearing impairment?

💡 Explanation

Chemotherapeutic drugs such as cisplatin can induce ototoxicity by damaging the hair cells in the cochlea, leading to permanent hearing loss because cisplatin accumulates in these cells, triggering apoptosis. Therefore, hair cell ototoxicity explains the hearing impairment, rather than physical blockage or mechanical issues in the middle ear.

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