Progressive hearing loss in hearing impaired children: immediate results of antiphlogistic--rheologic infusion therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The question whether progressive sensorineural hearing loss during childhood is the fateful course of a main illness has been discussed controversially over 60 years. No medicamentous therapy with satisfactory results has been described in the literature. The goal of this study was to determine whether an infusion therapy, developed for the treatment of sudden hearing loss in the elderly, can induce recovery after progression in sensorineural hearing loss during childhood.


METHODS
Out of 20 children suffering from acute progression in sensorineural hearing loss, seven children were treated with an infusion therapy containing prednisolone, pentoxifylline and a plasma expander (group I), and 13 children were not treated (group II). All children were advised not to use hearing aids for 6 weeks.


RESULTS
In group I, we observed partial to complete restoration of hearing threshold towards the original hearing threshold given by previous routine controls in 6/7 children. In group II, only three children recovered, with the state of ten children's' hearing loss remaining unchanged. The long-term follow-up, however, showed no distinct difference in either group.


CONCLUSIONS
Infusion therapy can be helpful when treating acutely progressing sensorineural hearing loss during childhood. The benefit for communicative competence has to be discussed. Further studies should be conducted.
Streppel
M
M
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Wittekindt
C
C
von Wedel
H
H
Walger
M
M
Schöndorf
H J
HJ
Michel
O
O
Stennert
E
E
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010952:Plasma Substitutes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D010952:Plasma Substitutes; D011239:Prednisolone; D010431:Pentoxifylline