title: Methylprednisolone use during radiotherapy extenuates hearing loss in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the hearing protective effects of methylprednisolone use during radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, controlled clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (106 ears). Twenty-five patients (50 ears) received radiotherapy with intravenous methylprednisolone for 14 days, and another 28 patients (56 ears) received radiotherapy alone. Pure tone audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) results were reviewed before and 1 year after radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One year after radiotherapy, the air-and-bone conduction pure tone hearing thresholds increased, and the DPOAE levels decreased in the control group. There was no difference in the ABR wave I, III, and V latencies and the I to V interwave latencies before and 1 year after radiotherapy. The pure tone air conduction thresholds decreased, and the DPOAE levels increased in the treatment group compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early sensorineural hearing loss after radiotherapy primarily affected the outer hair cells. The use of methylprednisolone during radiotherapy can extenuate early sensorineural hearing loss caused by irradiation.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, People's Republic of China.
authors: Junming
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yuanxin
authors: Y
authors: Zhao
authors: Xiaowei
authors: X
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, People's Republic of China.
authors: Lingmei
authors: L
authors: Tan
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, People's Republic of China.
authors: Zeying
authors: Z
authors: Ou
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, People's Republic of China.
authors: Youjun
authors: Y
authors: Yu
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yuejian
authors: Y
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002277:Carcinoma; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D018072:Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer / Q000528:radiation effects; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: Nasopharyngeal; methylprednisolone; radiotherapy; sensorineural hearing loss