Intratympanic gentamicin in Ménière's disease: our experience.

AIMS: To analyse intratympanic gentamicin injection as a treatment option in patients with monolateral Ménière's disease resistant to medical treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Longitudinal, prospective, descriptive study of response to gentamicin treatment in 71 patients diagnosed with Ménière's disease and treated medically for more than a year, unsuccessfully. American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery criteria were used for diagnosis and follow up.

RESULTS: Complete vertigo control was obtained in 65.6 per cent of patients, and complete or substantial control in 84.37 per cent. Thirteen patients (18.3 per cent) suffered significant hearing loss.

CONCLUSION: This intratympanic gentamicin injection protocol enabled effective vertigo control in most patients, and represents a good alternative to more aggressive techniques for the treatment of Ménière's disease which does not respond to medical treatment.