Intratympanic steroid injection as a salvage treatment for sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of intratympanic methylprednisolone injections for treating sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

METHOD: A retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients suffering from sudden sensorineural hearing loss with no recovery after oral steroids. Patients were given up to three intratympanic methylprednisolone injections at one-week intervals. They were classified according to their functional hearing class, remission was monitored and potential factors affecting prognosis were analysed.

RESULTS: Intratympanic injections provide effective salvage therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (p = 0.039). Changes in pure tone average and speech discrimination score were analysed following intratympanic methylprednisolone injections. The pure tone average reached a plateau after the second injection; however, the speech discrimination score improved until after the third injection. Hearing improvement after intratympanic injections mainly occurred at low frequencies. The interval between symptoms appearing and intratympanic injections starting was not significantly associated with remission (p = 0.680).

CONCLUSION: A delay between symptom onset and the first intratympanic methylprednisolone injection does not seem to affect prognosis.