Intratympanic methylprednisolone for sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neurology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) is often treated with corticosteroids.
• Systemic corticosteroid treatment is the standard, but some patients do not respond.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of intratympanic (IT) corticosteroid injection as a retreatment for SSHL patients who failed systemic corticosteroid therapy.
• To compare IT corticosteroid injection with continued observation in a control group.

Main Methods:

• 19 patients with SSHL refractory to systemic corticosteroids received five IT methylprednisolone injections over 3-day intervals (retreatment group).
• 18 patients served as a control group, receiving no additional treatment.
• Audiological evaluations were conducted at multiple time points up to 24.9 months.

Main Results:

• The retreatment group showed significant hearing improvement, with 73.6% achieving a 10 dB or greater gain.
• Mean pure-tone average improved from 65.2 dB to 44.5 dB in the retreatment group.
• No hearing gain was observed in the control group, and no serious side effects were reported with IT treatment.

Conclusions:

• Intratympanic methylprednisolone is effective for SSHL patients who have not responded to systemic corticosteroids.
• IT corticosteroid injection can be considered a primary treatment or an adjunct to systemic therapy for idiopathic SSHL.