ReviewThe Laryngoscope2013
Lead and the deafness of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Review in The Laryngoscope, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Aetiology of Ludwig van Beethoven's hearing impairment: hypotheses over the past 100 years - A systematic review.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2021Pooled it
- Inferring Cinematic Aesthetic Biases from the Statistics of Early Movies.Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Alcohol and the death of Ludwig van Beethoven: comparison of general biographies to the medical literature.Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 2025Review
- Principles of environmental medicine: an educational case study of lead poisoning in Beethoven.Frontiers in public health · 2025Review
- Does lead take the lead as the best explanation for Beethoven deafness?European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2021Article
- For each hypothesis on the aetiology of Beethoven's hearing disorder, there remain pro's and con's.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2021Article
- Self-assembling two-dimensional nanophotonic arrays for reflectivity-based sensing.Chemical science · 2020Article
- The Adverse Effects of Heavy Metals with and without Noise Exposure on the Human Peripheral and Central Auditory System: A Literature Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2016Review
- Hearing loss in palliative care.Journal of palliative medicine · 2015Article
- In memoriam Ludwig van Beethoven. Clinical history and possible diagnoses of the genius of musical composition in silence.Revista de gastroenterologia de Mexico (English)Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectives/hypothesisTo reexamine the cause of Beethoven's hearing loss because of significant recent articles. DATA SOURCES: Medical and musical literature online, in print, and personal communication.
methodsRelevant literature review.
resultsEvidence of otosclerosis is lacking because close gross examination of Beethoven's middle ears at autopsy did not find any otosclerotic foci. His slowly progressive hearing loss over a period of years differs from reported cases of autoimmune hearing loss, which are rapidly progressive over a period of months. He also lacked bloody diarrhea that is invariably present with autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease. The absence of mercury in Beethoven's hair and bone samples leads us to conclude that his deafness was not due to syphilis because in that era syphilis was treated with mercury. High levels of lead deep in the bone suggest repeated exposure over a long period of time rather than limited exposure prior to the time of death. The finding of shrunken cochlear nerves at his autopsy is consistent with axonal degeneration due to heavy metals such as lead. Chronic low-level lead exposure causes a slowly progressive hearing loss with sensory and autonomic findings, rather than the classic wrist drop due to motor neuropathy from sub-acute poisoning. Beethoven's physicians thought that he had alcohol dependence. He particularly liked wine that happened to be tainted with lead.
conclusionsBeethoven's chronic consumption of wine tainted with lead is a better explanation of his hearing loss than other causes.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.