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Published on: March 8, 2017
Effect of intratympanic steroid administration on sensorineural hearing loss associated with acute otitis media
R L Heywood1, S N Ifeacho1, A A Narula1
1Department of Otolaryngology,St Mary's Hospital,Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,London,UK.
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.
Method:
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).
Conclusion:
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.
