Treatment of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity by intra-tympanic corticosteroid injection

Abstract

Background: Cisplatin is a common chemotherapeutic drug often causes ototoxicity attributed to the formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species damaging critical inner ear structures. Steroids have been shown to reduce the formation of reactive oxygen species, and thus, may reduce ototoxicity. In this study, intratympanic corticosteroid injection is proved to help the recovery of cisplatin ototoxicity. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of intratympanic corticosteroid injection in the treatment of cisplatin ototoxicity. Patients and Methods: This study was applied on 20 patients that have sensorineural hearing loss caused by cisplatin, which was used as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of their malignancies. All cases were subjected to intratympanic corticosteroid injection. All patients were exposed to pure-tone audiometry before and after the procedure. Results: Significant increases in the average pure-tone thresholds (PTTs) at 8000 Hz were found in both the study and control groups after the cumulative dose: 43.15 ± 15.557 dBHL and 55.7 ± 13.2589 dBHL, a value of P = 0.0004 and <0.001, respectively. Significant increases in the average PTTs at 6000 Hz were found in both the study and control groups after the cumulative dose: 39.7 ± 11.885 dBHL and 52.6 ± 7.456 dBHL, a value of P = <0.001 and <0.001, respectively. Conclusion: Intratympanic corticosteroid injection appears to have the only minimal therapeutic effect to cisplatin-induced hearing loss, especially for 6000 and 8000 HZ.