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  • Title: [Ludwig van Beethoven: an autoimmune deafness?].
    Author: Davies PJ.
    Journal: Hist Sci Med; 1995; 29(3):271-6. PubMed ID: 11615339.
    Abstract:
    The author reminds us of the great moments of Beethoven's life and of the different stages of his deafness onset, until to last instants. The post-mortem examination, performed by doctor Wagner, and the scientific studies of the remains, during the exhumations, are reported. Beethoven's deafness was clearly a sensorineural impairment and the previously suggested prevalent hypotheses are discussed. A new theory is emphasized, based on modern studies about autoimmune sensorineural hearing losses in relation with chronic inflammatory bowel ailment. Conclusion is that Beethoven's deafness was probably owing to a primary autoimmune degeneration of the organ of Corti, giving rise to atrophy of the auditory nerve.
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