Intratympanic Corticosteroid for Sudden Hearing Loss: Does It Really Work?

Overview

Journal Braz J Otorhinolaryngol

Specialty Otorhinolaryngology

Date 2016 Feb 14

PMID 26873148

Citations 2

Authors

Monique Antunes De Souza Chelminski Barreto

Aleluia Lima Losno Ledesma

Carlos Augusto Costa Pires de Oliveira

Fayez Bahmad Jr

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Sudden deafness is characterized by an abrupt hearing loss of at least 30dB in three sequential frequencies in the standard pure tone audiogram over three days or less. Treatment is based on its etiology, and oral corticosteroids are widely used. Intratympanic corticosteroids are included as primary or secondary treatment when there is no improvement with the use of oral corticosteroids.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of therapy with intratympanic steroids in sudden deafness.

Methods: A systematic review was performed of publications on the topic in the databases of PubMed/MEDLINE, with the keywords: sudden deafness, sudden hearing loss, and corticosteroids.

Results: Thirty scientific studies were analyzed. As to the objectives of the study analyzed, 76.7% sought to evaluate the use of intratympanic therapy salvage after failure to conventional treatment, and intratympanic therapy was used as the primary treatment 23.3% of the studies.

Conclusion: Intratympanic corticosteroid therapy is prescribed primarily when there is failure of conventional therapy and when it is limited to use systemic corticosteroids, such as the diabetic patient.

Citing Articles

Intratympanic steroid as salvage therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Li D, Wang K, Shi Y, Li W, Cheng Y, Nurtai M Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2025; .

PMID: 39961837 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-025-09252-9.

[Hormonal influence on hearing].

Vahl J, Goldberg-Bockhorn E, Hoffmann T, Wigand M HNO. 2021; 69(12):987-995.

PMID: 33725160 DOI: 10.1007/s00106-021-01019-y.

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: Effectiveness of salvage treatment with low-dose intratympanic dexamethasone.

Salvador P, Moreira da Silva F, Fonseca R J Otol. 2021; 16(1):6-11.

PMID: 33505443 PMC: 7814077. DOI: 10.1016/j.joto.2020.06.002.

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