title: Short-Term Outcomes of Acute Low-Tone Sensorineural Hearing Loss According to Treatment Modality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared improvements in hearing thresholds in acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss (ALHL) patients after two different treatments: steroid alone and steroid and diuretic combined. We analyzed how the duration between the onset of symptoms and the initiation of treatment affected hearing loss improvement and investigated the relation between presence of vertigo in ALHL patients and ALHL progression to Ménière's disease (MD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 47 ALHL patients aged 21 to 76 years. Patients received either orally administered steroid alone (n=12) or steroid and diuretic combined (n=35). We compared improvements in the two groups' hearing thresholds at three lower frequencies (125, 250, and 500 Hz) after participants had received one month of each respective treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our two treatments did not show any statistical difference in hearing loss improvement after one month. Forty percent of ALHL patients with vertigo developed MD, which was a significantly higher rate than the 12.5% of ALHL patients without vertigo who developed MD. The shorter duration between the onset of symptoms and the initiation of treatment significantly increased improvement in the sum of lower frequency hearing threshold after one month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study suggests that steroid and diuretic administered together and steroid alone similarly improve the hearing threshold in ALHL patients after one month. We concluded that patients should initiate ALHL treatment as soon as they experience symptoms. ALHL patients should also be notified of their higher risk of developing MD.
authors.affiliation: The Graduate School, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jinkyung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea.
authors.forename: Gunhwee
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yum
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ha-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Im
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Yoon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Chan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Rah
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea.
authors.forename: June
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
keywords: Acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss; Combination; Diuretic; Steroid