Oral steroid treatment for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the efficacy of long-term oral steroids in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL), and to explore potential prognosis factors, the relationship of hearing recovery outcome, and the recovery time-course in ISSHL.


METHODS
In this retrospective study, we analyzed 215 cases diagnosed with idiopathic unilateral sudden deafness between January 2003 and December 2012 at a regional hospital in southern Taiwan. All of them received oral steroid therapy and were followed for at least 3 months.


RESULTS
Young age, the presence of no other disease (diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease), treatment within 7 days of the onset of ISSHL, mild hearing loss, and audiograms with ascending curves had a statistically significant better hearing recovery. The average pure-tone audiometry (PTA) was 67.8±23.9 dB initially, and was improved between one month (51.6±28.7 dB) and 2 months post treatment (49.7±28.6 dB). The average last-visit PTA was 49.9±29.2 dB.


CONCLUSIONS
Approximately one third of patients had full recovery in hearing, one third had partial recovery, and approximately one third did not recover from hearing loss. In addition, the hearing level remained relatively stable following 2 months of treatment. More than 2 months of oral steroid therapy for ISSHL is not recommended because no additional benefits were evidenced.
Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China. E-mail. gnitiaw@mail.ndmctsgh.edu.tw.
Wei T
WT
Chen
Jui W
JW
Lee
Chien H
CH
Yuan
Rong F
RF
Chen
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan
D011239:Prednisolone