Hearing evaluation of intratympanic methylprednisolone perfusion for refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Journal: Otolaryngology--Head And Neck Surgery : Official Journal Of American Academy Of Otolaryngology-Head And Neck Surgery
Published:
Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of intratympanic methylprednisolone perfusion (IMP) through a microcatheter in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) who failed a conventional treatment.

Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: This study was conducted in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School. Methods: Patients who had failed a minimum 10-day conventional treatment were included. Twenty-six patients in the study group (SG) received methylprednisolone perfusion through a microcatheter placed into the tympanum once a day for 10 days and the conventional treatment. Twenty-three patients who received a second conventional treatment (no steroid) served as the comparison group (CG). All patients were followed up for three months after the end of treatment.

Results: The effective rates for SG and CG were 50 percent (61.9% when only patients with an interval from onset to IMP < or = 60 days were included) and 21.7 percent, respectively (chi(2) = 4.194, P = 0.041). The pure-tone average improvement was 20.2 +/- 15.6 dB in SG, and 9.2 +/- 13.7 dB in CG (z = 2.51, P = 0.011). In SG, hearing improvement at low frequencies was better than that at high frequencies. The interval from onset to IMP affected the efficacy of IMP.

Conclusions: IMP through a microcatheter is a promising treatment for refractory SSNHL. The data suggest that the treatment may be more effective when administered at the earlier stages of SSNHL when the conventional treatment has failed.

Authors
Wandong She, Yanhong Dai, Xiaoping Du, Chenjie Yu, Feng Chen, Junguo Wang, Xiaoming Qin
Relevant Conditions

Hearing Loss

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