title: Effect of intratympanic steroid administration on sensorineural hearing loss associated with acute otitis media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a small cohort of patients who presented with symptoms and signs consistent with acute infective sensorineural hearing loss who were treated with intratympanic steroids.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven patients received a 7-day course of oral antibiotics and oral prednisolone followed by 3 intratympanic injections of methylprednisolone and 1 week of topical dexamethasone drops.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hearing improved in 57 per cent of patients (four out of seven). The mean improvement in this group was 24 dB (range, 10-52 dB). The magnitude of the sensorineural hearing loss at presentation was less in those who responded to intratympanic steroid therapy than in non-responders (mean pure tone average of 30 dB versus 65 dB pre-intratympanic steroids, and 14 dB versus 83 dB post-intratympanic steroids, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study suggest that intratympanic steroids provide a valuable contribution to the treatment of acute infective sensorineural hearing loss and may provide additional benefit by virtue of a concentrated local steroid effect in patients who do not respond to antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology,St Mary's Hospital,Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,London,UK.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Heywood
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology,St Mary's Hospital,Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,London,UK.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Ifeacho
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology,St Mary's Hospital,Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,London,UK.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Narula
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D000069555:Injection, Intratympanic; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone; D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: Hearing Loss; Otitis Media; Sensorineural; Sudden