title: Simultaneous versus Sequential Intratympanic Steroid Treatment for Severe-to-Profound Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.
abstract: Severe-to-profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has a poor prognosis. We aimed to compare the efficacy of simultaneous and sequential oral and intratympanic steroids for this condition.
  
  
  
  Fifty patients with severe-to-profound SSNHL (>70 dB HL) were included from 7 centers. The simultaneous group (27 patients) received oral and intratympanic steroid injections for 2 weeks. The sequential group (23 patients) was treated with oral steroids for 2 weeks and intratympanic steroids for the subsequent 2 weeks. Pure-tone averages (PTA) and word discrimination scores (WDS) were compared before treatment and 2 weeks and 1 and 2 months after treatment. Treatment outcomes according to the modified American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) criteria were also analyzed.
  
  
  
  The improvement in PTA and WDS at the 2-week follow-up was 23 ± 21 dB HL and 20 ± 39% in the simultaneous group and 31 ± 29 dB HL and 37 ± 42% in the sequential group; this was not statistically significant. Complete or partial recovery at the 2-week follow-up was observed in 26% of the simultaneous group and 30% of the sequential group; this was also not significant. The improvement in PTA and WDS at the 2-month follow-up was 40 ± 20 dB HL and 37 ± 35% in the simultaneous group and 41 ± 25 dB HL and 48 ± 41% in the sequential group; this was not statistically significant. Complete or partial recovery at the 2-month follow-up was observed in 33% of the simultaneous group and 35% of the sequential group; this was also not significant. Seven patients in the sequential group did not need intratympanic steroid injections for sufficient improvement after oral steroids alone.
  
  
  
  Simultaneous oral/intratympanic steroid treatment yielded a recovery similar to that produced by sequential treatment. Because the addition of intratympanic steroids can be decided upon based on the improvement after an oral steroid, the sequential regimen can be recommended to avoid unnecessary intratympanic injections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Hoon
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Won Sub
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Joo Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Joong Keun
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Tae-Hoon
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yong-Hwi
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Young-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Hong Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000069555:Injection, Intratympanic; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone; D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: Injection; Profound hearing loss; Steroid; Sudden hearing loss; Tympanum