Intratympanic prednisolone therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A new protocol.
CONCLUSIONS
Intratympanic administration of prednisolone at a dose of 62.5 mg/ml performed every day for 3 consecutive days is more efficacious than the therapeutic approaches described so far in the literature.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate the overall success rate, morbidity, and prognostic factors of a new protocol of intratympanic steroid administration as a means of primary therapy for idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss.


METHODS
Overall, 34 patients presenting sudden unilateral sensorineural hearing loss of at least 30 dB over three frequencies that had developed within 72 h were treated once a day for 3 consecutive days with a single intratympanic injection of prednisone diluted in saline solution.


RESULTS
Following intratympanic therapy with prednisone, 16 patients (47%) reported complete recovery of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, with a pure tone average that returned within 25 dB; 11 patients (32.3%) showed improvement in hearing of more than 30 dB; 4 patients presented improvement in pure-tone average between 10 and 30 dB. Only three patients failed to improve following intratympanic injection.
Filipo
Roberto
R
Department of Neurology and Otolaryngology, ‘sapienza’ University of Rome, Italy.
Covelli
Edoardo
E
Balsamo
Giorgio
G
Attanasio
Giuseppe
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011379:Prognosis; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D014432:Tympanic Membrane; D055815:Young Adult
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone