Osmotic treatment of cochleopathies other than Menière's disease

The effect of osmotic treatment on cases with fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss other than Menière's disease is described in this paper. Complete normalization of the hearing threshold has been obtained in eight patients suffering from cochlear hydrops (one case), sensorineural concussion deafness (five cases), temporary noise threshold shift (one case), sudden deafness (two cases). Relief of tinnitus has been observed in a case of post-stapedectomy deafness. The audiometric pattern of end organ disease in a case of cohlear otosclerosis showed a change into a classical otosclerosis audiograph after glycerol administration. The action of osmotic drugs on the inner ear is though to be twofold, i.e. reabsorbing hydrops and normalizing rheological alterations. Therefore, an osmotic treatment is indicated for menieric and non-menieric hydrops and for microcirculatory impairment of the labyrinth. On the basis of these statements the glycerol test for the diagnosis of Menière's disease is called into doubt as not being absolutely specific.