Use of Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) in Meniere's disease managed with intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion: Quality of life assessment.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate patients' quality of life following intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion in management of Meniere's disease (MD).


METHODS
This is a retrospective study in a tertiary referral center that uses the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI). Intratympanic perfusion of 24mg/ml of dexamethasone was administered after failure to respond to previous management with diuretics and low-salt diet. GBI questionnaires were collected and analyzed in a 12 months follow-up of participating patients.


RESULTS
Thirty patients (20 women and 10 men, aged 28-85 years) with MD underwent intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion and were assessed with the assistance of GBI questionnaire. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 48 months (mean 30 months). Audiometric results were also available in all of them. In the short term (4 weeks post-perfusion) 6 patients demonstrated a greater than 10dB improvement in PTA, and 6 patients had an increase in SDS of at least 15%, while in the long-term (12 months post-perfusion) the number of patients in the respective groups decreased to 5 and 2. With regards to the GBI responses, 9 patients (50%) expressed an overall benefit, while 6 (33%) expressed no benefit and 3 patients (17%) complained of negative effect after the intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
The mean GBI score indicates substantial improvement in patients' overall quality of life following intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion, which was also confirmed by the audiometric results.
Kyrodimos
Efthimios
E
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA, USA.
Aidonis
Ioannis
I
Skalimis
Anargyros
A
Sismanis
Aristides
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010477:Perfusion; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003907:Dexamethasone