A Retrospective Assessment of 741 Patients with Sudden Hearing Loss

Abstract

Background: Sudden hearing loss is a result of various factors. Most therapies aim to improve the cochlear microcirculation but effectiveness is not sufficiently documented. Methods: 741 patients were included into the non-interventional observation thus far and analyzed with regard to various therapies and time progressions. The main outcome measure consisted of hearing threshold difference before, immedi- ately after and 90 days after therapy. Results: In a summary of all evaluable patients (n=630), a hearing increase of 14 dB was shown after therapy. Evaluation of remission rates regarding time between occurrence and therapy (n=547) showed hearing increase of 14 dB (n=444) if therapy was started within 2 days, 12 dB (n=56) between day 2 and day 7, 13 dB (n=18) between 1 and 2 weeks, 6 dB (n=23) between 2 and 6 weeks, and 13 dB (n=6) after more than 6 weeks. In consideration of the total hearing loss, an im- provement of hearing loss from 29 dB to 16 dB was obtained after therapy with HES (n=115) immediately after therapy, remaining constant up to day 90. After sole therapy with cortisone (n=33), hearing loss improved from 31 dB to 17 dB with constancy on day 90. If patients were treated with combination therapy consisting of HES and cortisone (n=206), an improvement from 31 dB to 18 dB after termination of therapy and of 17 dB after day 90 was shown in the consideration of total hearing loss. Discussion: Idiopathic hearing loss is a heterogenic illness; evaluation of different therapies in different forms of hearing loss will have importance in the future. The retrospective assessment is not limited by time and will use its large case numbers to identify subgroups of hearing loss which can be used to define criteria for a more specific and differential therapy.