Intratympanic Steroid Research Articles

Standardization of Outcome Measures for Intratympanic Steroid Treatment for Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

To identify variability in reported hearing outcomes for intratympanic (IT) steroid treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) by comparing outcomes using the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) guideline with other published criteria. Retrospective chart review. Tertiary otology practice. Patients with ISSNHL treated with IT steroid between April 2003 and December 2020. IT steroid injection and audiometric evaluation. 1) Rates of full, partial, or no recovery using the AAO-HNS guideline versus other reported criteria, and 2) correlation analyses of demographic and clinical variables with response to IT steroid. Using AAO-HNS reporting criteria, full recovery of the pure-tone average was noted in 25.68% of patients. Applying eight other published outcomes criteria to this patient cohort classified full recovery in 14.87 to 40.54% of patients. Similarly, AAO-HNS criteria classified "no recovery" in 51.35% of our patients, whereas applying the other reported criteria showed an average rate of 62.16% no recovery and as high as 82.43% of patients without recovery. Younger age ( p = 0.003; effect size, 0.924) and IT injection within a week of onset ( p < 0.001; effect size, 1.099) positively correlated with full recovery. There was no impact of prior or concurrent oral steroids, or number of steroid injections on outcome. Great variability exists in the literature for assessment of IT steroid outcomes in ISSNHL. Standard reporting of outcomes as per the AAO-HNS SSNHL guideline is recommended to consistently characterize IT steroid efficacy and allow comparison across studies.

Systemic steroid administration combined with intratympanic steroid injection in the treatment of a unilateral sudden hearing loss prognosis prediction model: A retrospective observational study.

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is an emergency ear disease that is referred to as a sensorineural hearing loss of at least 30 dB in three sequential frequencies and occurs over a period of < 72 h. Because of its etiology, pathogenesis, and prognostic factors, the current treatment methods are not ideal. Previous studies have developed prognostic models to predict hearing recovery from ISSNHL, but few studies have incorporated serum biochemical indicators into previous models. The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing the ISSNHL prognosis of combination therapy (combined intratympanic and systemic use of steroids, CT), among the patient population data, the serum biochemical indicators before the treatment, and the clinical features of ISSNHL. The new prediction model was developed through these factors. From November 2015 to April 2022, 430 patients who underwent CT at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University for ISSNHL, were reviewed retrospectively. We found significant differences in age (P = 0.018), glucose (P = 0.035), white blood cell (WBC) (P = 0.021), vertigo (P = 0.000) and type (P = 0.000) with different therapeutic efficacies. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR = 0.715, P = 0.023), WBC (OR = 0.527, P = 0.01), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (OR = 0.995, P = 0.038), vertigo (OR = 0.48, P = 0.004), course (time from onset to treatment) (OR = 0.681, P = 0.016) and type (OR = 0.409, P = 0.000) were independent risk factors for ISSNHL prognosis. Based on independent risk factors, a predictive model and nomogram were developed to predict hearing outcomes in ISSNHL patients. The area under the curve (AUC) value of the model developed in this study was 0.773 (95% CI = 0.730–0.812), which has a certain predictive ability. The calibration curve indicated good consistency between the actual diagnosed therapeutic effectiveness and the predicted probability. The model and nomogram can predict the hearing prognosis of ISSNHL patients treated with CT and can provide help for medical staff to make the best clinical decision. This study has been registered with the registration number ChiCTR2200061379.

Optimal timing of salvage intratympanic steroids in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

BackgroundSalvage intratympanic steroids (ITS) works in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) after failure of initial therapy, but optimal timing of administration is unknown.MethodsTwo hundred and seventy patients with ISSNHL were included. Among them, 180 were treated with ITS and standard medical treatment (SMT) and the other 90 received SMT along. The hearing threshold before and after salvage treatment were compared. The relationship between the salvage starting time and hearing recovery was analyzed.ResultsThe hearing of ITS group improved more than that of the SMT group in all frequency bands. The effect of both strategies decreases with the delay of the starting time. ITS can improve hearing even if being administrated 5 weeks after onset while SMT failed after 3 weeks.ConclusionPatients with profound ISSNHL can obtain extra hearing recovery from salvage ITS. The earlier salvage starts, the greater the patient benefits.

The Impact of Intratympanic Steroid Dosage on Hearing Recovery in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

To investigate how dexamethasone dosage impacts intratympanic steroid therapy (IST) for treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Retrospective review. Inclusion criteria identified subjects who received IST between January 1, 2010 and June 1, 2020 for iSSNHL. Subjects with Meniere's disease, autoimmune inner ear disease, subjects who received injections of non-dexamethasone steroid formulations, and subjects with missing audiogram data were excluded. Subjects were stratified by dexamethasone dosage: low-dose (10 mg/ml) versus high-dose (24 mg/ml), time-to-treatment and oral corticosteroid use. Outcome measures included post-treatment improvement in 4-frequency pure tone average (4F-PTA [500, 1000, 2000,4000 Hz]), low- and high-frequency PTA (250-1000 Hz and 2000-8000 Hz, respectively). Of the 55 included subjects (50.9% male, mean age 48.9 ± 16.4 years), 31 received high-dose while 24 received low-dose injections. 90.9% of subjects were treated with oral steroids prior to or during IST. No significant differences in hearing outcomes were observed between low- and high-dose cohorts or when stratifying by oral steroid use. Time-to-treatment analysis comparing ≤1 month (67.3%) versus >1 month (32.7%) groups demonstrated a significant improvement in post-treatment 4F-PTA (P = .01) in the ≤1 month group. Hearing recovery was not significantly different between the 10 mg/ml versus 24 mg/ml doses of intratympanic dexamethasone, suggesting that steroid dose may not impact the efficacy of IST. A shorter time-to-treatment was observed to be favorable for hearing improvement.

Tolerance and acceptance of intratympanic injections

HintergrundDie intratympanale Gabe von Steroiden ist Bestandteil der Therapie von akuten Hörverlusten. Bislang existieren nur wenig Daten zur Akzeptanz und Toleranz aus Sicht der Patient*innen.Material und MethodenZu den gesundheitlichen Voraussetzungen und den Umstäden ihrer intratympanalen Therapie wurden 84 Patient*innen befragt.ErgebnisseEs stellten sich 38 Frauen und 46 Männer im Alter von durchschnittlich 57,2 Jahren meist auf Empfehlung ihres HNO-Arztes zur Zweitlinientherapie vor und empfanden die Injektionen zu 3,6 % als schmerzhaft, 22,6 % unangenehm, 67,9 % erträglich und zu 41,7 % als schmerzfrei (Mehrfachnennungen möglich). Eine Weiterempfehlung gaben 77,4 %, eine fehlende Empfehlung resultierte aus mangelnder Wirkung und unangenehmer Empfindung.SchlussfolgerungDer weit überwiegende Anteil der Behandelten beurteilt die intratympanale Therapie als erträglich und gibt eine Weiterempfehlung. Die enge Patientenführung ist ein entscheidender Therapiebaustein.

Sudden Hearing Loss in Patients With COVID-19: Case Series and Analysis of the Literature

This study reports on patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) presenting with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study included four adult patients who presented with the complaint of unilateral SSNHL after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR from January to April 2022. Of the four patients, only one young adult recovered his hearing following a combination of oral and intratympanic steroid therapy. It is a challenge to confirm evidence of association between COVID-19 and SSNHL. Nevertheless, the early screening and diagnosis for SSNHL following COVID-19 enables prompt treatment with steroids, which offers the best chance of hearing recovery.

Prognostic factors in elderly patients after an intra-tympanic steroid injection for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

BackgroundIdiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) presents with emergent hearing impairment and is mainly treated with steroids. However, limited data exist regarding the prognostic factors among elderly patients (>65 years old) who receive an intra-tympanic steroid injection (ITSI). Therefore, we investigated the prognostic factors in these patients. MethodsBetween July 2016 and March 2022, we retrospectively enrolled 105 elderly patients (>65 years old) with unilateral ISSNHL who were treated with an ITSI, and recorded their clinical and audiological variables. ResultsThe patients had a mean age of 72.03 ± 6.33 years and mean hearing level gain of 22.86 ± 21.84 dB, speech reception threshold (SRT) gain of 15.77 ± 35.27 dB, and speech discrimination score (SDS) gain of 19.54 ± 27.81 %. According to Siegel's criteria, 5 (4.76 %), 44 (41.91 %), 46 (43.81 %), and 10 (9.52 %) patients had complete recovery, partial recovery, slight improvement, and no improvement, respectively. In the univariate analysis, vertigo (odds ratio [OR] = 0.290, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.130–0.651, p = 0.002) and profound hearing loss on pure tone audiometry (PTA; OR = 0.233, 95 % CI: 0.101–0.536, p = 0.004) were negative prognostic factors among elderly ISSNHL patients. In the multivariate analysis, vertigo (OR = 0.300, 95 % CI: 0.128–0.705, p = 0.005) and profound pure tone audiometry (OR = 0.240, 95 % CI: 0.101–0.570, p = 0.001) were independent adverse prognostic factors among elderly ISSNHL patients. ConclusionsWe demonstrated the treatment outcomes of 105 elderly ISSNHL patients after an ITSI. Vertigo and profound PTA are independent adverse risk factors among elderly ISSNHL patients, and patients with these risk factors require active treatment.

Treatment of SSNHL in the COVID-19 pandemic – time for changes

Our work aimed to review the literature about sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) treatment and the approach to this problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current knowledge on SSNHL was sought and presented based on literature published in English-language journals from the Master Journal List. We searched for articles in the MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a relatively common pathology in otolaryngology. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery published guidelines for managing SSNHL, specifying systemic and intratympanic (IT) steroid therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as the optional adjunctive treatment. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the standard treatment of SSNHL needed to be verified to identify possible interference of virus infection with pharmacological and hyperbaric therapy. The general use of standard treatment of SSNHL with steroids and HBO according to internationally approved guidelines should ensure safe medical procedures due to epidemiological restrictions. Potential relations between COVID-19 and SSNHL, as well as concomitant use of anticoagulants, should be investigated.

Comparison of Auditory Outcomes between Inpatient- and Outpatient-Based Treatment in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Objective: The primary treatment for sudden hearing loss is high-dose steroid therapy. In some countries, hospitalization has been taken for granted. Although most countries appear to treat sudden hearing loss on an outpatient basis, some other countries have considered hospitalization as necessary. Only a few studies have been conducted on the effect of hospitalization on hearing outcomes. Therefore, we compared the hearing outcome of inpatient- and outpatient-based treatments to determine whether hospitalization affects the recovery of sudden hearing loss. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case review of patients diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). In total, 439 patients with SSNHL were enrolled and categorized as either inpatients (group I) or outpatients (group O). Pure-tone audiometry was initially performed before the treatment and 3 months post-treatment. “Recovery” was defined as a hearing gain of 15 dB HL and a final hearing of better than 25 dB. “No recovery” was defined as an improvement of hearing gain of <15 dB 3 months after treatment. To exclude the effect of the level of pretreatment hearing loss, we divided the patients into three subgroups based on their hearing level: <40 dB, 40–70 dB, and >70 dB. To assess the effect of the treatment modality, the patients were divided into three treatment subgroups: systemic steroids (SS), intratympanic steroids (ITS), and a combination of both (SS and ITS). Results: The pretreatment hearing level was significantly higher in group I (61.5 ± 25.4 dB) than in group O (50.3 ± 23.0 dB; p < 0.05). The hearing gain was significantly higher in group I (33.3 ± 24.4 dB) than in group O (24.0 ± 21.8 dB; p < 0.05). The “Recovery” ratio was significantly higher in group I (70.2%) than in group O (63.1%) (p < 0.05). A repeated measures ANOVA was performed to assess the statistical differences between hospitalization, treatment modalities, and pretreatment subgroups. The inpatient group showed a significant hearing improvement in all SSNHL patients (p < 0.05). There was a significant hearing improvement in the inpatient group with pretreatment hearing <40 and 40–70 dB (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the inpatient and outpatient groups in pretreatment hearing >70 dB (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This retrospective study showed that inpatient treatment for sudden hearing loss is more beneficial for hearing improvement than outpatient treatment. The positive effect of inpatient treatment appears to be significant in patients with a pretreatment hearing level of 70 dB or less.

Probability of clinically significant hearing recovery following salvage intratympanic steroids for sudden sensorineural hearing loss in the 'real world'.

This study aimed to determine the probability of hearing recovery in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss following salvage intratympanic steroids. A retrospective review of all patients receiving salvage intratympanic steroid injections for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss was performed (January 2014 to December 2019). Twenty-two patients were identified, of whom 15 met inclusion criteria. Pre- and post-treatment audiograms were compared with the unaffected ear. Hearing recovery was categorised based on American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery criteria. Only 1 patient out of 15 (6.7 per cent) made a partial recovery, and the remainder were non-responders. The median duration of time between symptom onset and first salvage intratympanic steroid treatment was 52 days (range, 14-81 days). No adverse reactions were observed. 'Real world' patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss present differently to those in the literature. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss should be diagnosed with care and intratympanic steroid injections initiated early if considered appropriate. Patients should make an informed decision on treatment based on prognostic factors and local success rates.

Quality of life after intratympanic steroid injection for Ménière's disease.

ObjectiveThis study explores how treatment with intratympanic steroid injection affects quality of life, as well as several subjective complaints in patients with Ménière's disease.MethodsPatients filled in the Ménière's Disease Outcome Questionnaire (MDOQ) and answered questions about subjective complaints. Scores before and after treatment were compared using paired t tests.ResultsForty‐nine patients treated with intratympanic steroid injection were included. Quality of life was improved in 36 (73%) patients, the same in 9 (18%) patients, and lower in 4 (8%) patients. Overall, the mean change in MDOQ was +20.6 points (95% confidence interval +14.5 to +26.7 points, p < 0.001). The improvement was seen in the emotional, physical, and mental domain. Most patients experienced less vertigo and instability but did not notice change in subjective hearing, tinnitus, or aural fullness after treatment.ConclusionTreatment with intratympanic steroid injection leads to an improvement in quality of life in most patients. Moreover, the procedure is only minimally invasive. Based on the findings in this study, treatment with ITS should be discussed with every patient suffering from vertigo attacks due to active Ménière's disease.Level of evidenceLevel 4

The Optimized Protocol of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

This study aimed to determine the optimal protocol of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) according to various treatment settings for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). A 112 patients with SSNHL were enrolled in this prospective study. All patients were treated with systemic steroid therapy, intratympanic steroid therapy, and HBOT. According to the pressure and duration of HBOT (10 sessions in total), the patients were divided into three groups: group 1, 2.5 atmospheres absolute (ATA) for 1 h; group 2, 2.5 ATA for 2 h; and group 3, 1.5 ATA for 1 h. The pure-tone average (PTA), word discrimination score (WDS), and mean gain were compared. A total of 105 patients completed the 3-month follow-up, and 6 patients were excluded. Differences among groups were found in PTA, WDS, and mean gain. In the post-hoc analysis, group 3 had significantly lower WDS and mean gain than groups 1 and 2; however, group 2 showed no significant differences from group 1. The proportion of patients with hearing recovery after treatment was significantly higher in group 1 (57.6%) and group 2 (58.8%) than in group 3 (31.3%). When HBOT (10 sessions) was combined with corticosteroids as the initial therapy for SSNHL, a higher pressure (1.5 ATA vs. 2.5 ATA) provided better treatment results; however, increasing the duration (1 h vs. 2 h) under 2.5 ATA did not result in a significant difference. Therefore, HBOT for SSNHL may be performed at 2.5 ATA for 1 h in 10 sessions. Laryngoscope, 133:383-388, 2023.

Symptoms: Sudden Hearing Loss and Vertigo

Symptoms: Sudden Hearing Loss and Vertigo

Clinicoaudiological evaluation of hearing improvement in patients with sensorineural hearing loss using intratympanic platelet rich plasma versus steroid injection

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;SNHL is a heterogenous disorder, which can arise due to damage to pathway for sound impulses from the hair cells of inner ear to auditory nerve. This study is&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;to evaluate and compare the effect of intratympanic instillation of PRP in patients having sensorineural hearing loss with steroid therapy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;prospective observational study carried out in the department of ENT, NSCB medical college Jabalpur. The cases were selected who presented with sensorineural hearing loss and mixed hearing loss with intact TM. Total of 54 cases were enrolled in the study from 1March, 2020 to 31 August 2021.Preoperative PTA was recorded. 0.5 ml of intratympanic platelet rich plasma and 0.5 ml of steroid dexamethasone administered. Postoperative PTA was done after 15 days of intratympanic injection and results recorded.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results&lt;/strong&gt;: In our study the mean age of the participants was 40.4 years. Bilateral and gradual hearing loss were common in the present study. The improvement from baseline to follow up period was higher in PRP group compared to DEXA group. It is statistically significant (p=0.001). The improvement in hearing loss is decreasing with the increase in age. The study revealed that hearing improvement with PRP is better than steroid.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;The study concluded that the hearing improvement was more with single injection of PRP than dexamethasone.&lt;/p&gt;

Intratympanic Versus Systemic Steroid Therapy for Idiopathic Sudden Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is a common condition characterized by hearing threshold reduction, most often of unknown causes. The patient experiences a sudden reduction of the hearing threshold in one or both ears. Steroids are the mainstream of the treatment. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of intratympanic steroid administration compared with systemic administration and the combination of the two steroid treatments in the hearing recovery of patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. We searched electronic databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, CINAHL, Cochrane (Central), Ovid, and Medline from August 31, 2021, to November 31, 2021, and from February 5 to 10, 2022. We included 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and performed a meta-analysis comparing the efficiency in the hearing recovery of intratympanic versus systemic steroid treatment, systemic versus combined, and intratympanic versus combined steroid treatment. The results of the intratympanic versus systemic steroid therapy comparison showed no actual difference in efficiency and no statistical significance (odds ratio: 1.07 (Mantel-Haenszel (M-H), fixed, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.76-1.51)). Systemic steroid treatment was inferior to combined steroid treatment and was the only outcome with statistical significance (odds ratio: 0.55 (M-H, fixed, 95% CI: 0.38-0.80)). Intratympanic steroid treatment was inferior to combined steroid treatment, although the results were not statistically significant (odds ratio: 0.65 (M-H, fixed, 95% CI: 0.37-1.16)). In conclusion, systemic steroid therapy was inferior to combined steroid therapy. The comparison of intratympanic with systemic therapy and intratympanic with combined therapy showed no statistical significance. Further research is needed with more RCTs, and side effects should be considered.

Salvage intratympanic steroid therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss: our real-life experience in 32 patients

To examine the role of salvage intratympanic steroid injections in patients presenting with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss following a poor response to initial oral steroid treatment. A retrospective analysis of patient records over the course of four years was conducted, and pure tone thresholds were reviewed before treatment, after oral steroid therapy and six weeks after intratympanic steroid injection therapy. After oral steroid therapy alone, there was a mean average threshold change of 6.2 dB HL (range, -13.8-33.8 dB). This change was statistically significant for severely affected patients (those with an average presenting threshold of over 71 dB). The mean average threshold improvement following intratympanic steroid injection therapy was 2.9 dB (range, -22.5-61.3 dB); this was not statistically significant. Some patients experienced moderate improvement following intratympanic steroid injection therapy; however, no specific subgroup was identified to benefit more from intratympanic steroid injection therapy.

Intratympanic treatment in chronic subjective tinnitus

Aims: The aim of our study was to determine the efficacy of this treatment by evaluating the results of pure-tone audiometry, tinnitus rating scale, and tinnitus handicap questionnaire performed before and after intratympanic (IT) steroid treatment in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus who were not treated despite receiving medical treatment. Settings and Design: Twenty-three patients between 27 and 79 years of age who had normal physical examination had tinnitus complaints at least 3-month duration and who had been treated with IT steroid treatment were enrolled to the current study. Patients smaller than 18 years of age, patients with mental, neurological and psychological pathology, patients who had used any kind of medical treatment for tinnitus in the past 3 months, were excluded from the study. Subjects and Methods: The study included patients who were admitted to Mersin University Medicine Faculty Otorhinolaryngology Department, Department with tinnitus and were treated with IT steroid treatment. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients participating in the study. Statistical Analysis Used: All analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 22 package software trial version. The normal distribution of the data was examined with Shapiro–Wilk test. Frequency and percentage were calculated for categorical values. Results: In the tinnitus grading scale, a significant decrease in before and after treatment was determined for 17 patients with tinnitus complaints and was found statistically significant (P < 0.001). The results of tinnitus handicap questionnaires were rated between 21.4 and 69.6 for before treatment and between 11.4 and 63.6 for after treatment and were found statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: In this study, we found that IT steroid treatment decreased both tinnitus rating scale and tinnitus handicap scores for patients with chronic idiopathic tinnitus without hearing loss.

Intratympanic Steroid for the Management of Sudden Hearing Loss: Introduction of a Tapering Method.

Introduction:Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a therapeutic challenge. There are several controversies regarding the management protocol of SSNHL. This study aimed to present the results of a novel treatment algorithm, which is a combination of systemic steroids and a tapering intratympanic (IT) dexamethasone regimen. Materials and Methods:The past 10 years’ medical records of idiopathic SSNHL cases in Ghaem and Emamreza hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were evaluated. Patients were assessed using standardized methods for pure-tone threshold audiometry. The management method of SSNHL treatment included oral steroids combined with IT administration of dexamethasone once a day for 7 days and continuing it on an alternate day and then weekly basis. Patients’ recovery was assessed using Siegel’s criteria.Results:This study included a total of 248 cases of idiopathic sudden hearing loss, with a mean age of 40.63±16.19 years. In total, 105 (42.3%) and 143 (57.7%) patients were female and male, respectively. The most common associated symptoms included tinnitus (86.9%, n=205) followed by vertigo (52.1%, n=122). The final hearing outcome of patients showed that 39 (15.7%), 38(15.3%), 86 (34.7%), and 85 (34.3%) patients underwent a complete recovery, partial recovery, slight recovery, and no recovery, based on Siegel’s criteria. Conclusions:The dose, interval, and duration of IT steroid treatment were not universally approved. The treatment method designed based on a tapering of IT steroid injection in combination with already known systemic administration of steroids can be a treatment option in SSNHL patients.

Intratympanic corticosteroid for Bell's palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveThis study aimed to reveal the efficacy and safety of intratympanic steroid therapy (ITST) in patients with Bell's palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome. MethodsA literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Ichushi-Web, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Published randomized controlled trial and observational studies, which compared the combination of intratympanic corticosteroids with systemic corticosteroid versus systemic corticosteroid for Bell's palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, were included for meta-analysis. The primary outcome was non-recovery at the end of the study follow-up. Data was analyzed using Review Manager software, and pooled odds ratio with 95% CI were calculated. ResultsThree randomized controlled trial and two cohort studies met the eligible criteria, and 350 individuals included for meta-analysis. The timing of intratympanic corticosteroid was varied from once or twice a week to consecutive 10-days. Patients treated with combination of systemic corticosteroids and intratympanic corticosteroids were likely to achieve recovery of normal facial function (OR = 0.36 [95% CI 0.12–1.14]). The subgroup analysis of the timing revealed that daily ITST reduced non-recovery (OR = 0.14 [95% CI 0.04-0.50). However, non-daily ITST did not reduced non-recovery (OR 0.93 [95% CI 0.37-2.34]). ConclusionIntratympanic corticosteroid have a potential to reduce non-recovery in patients with Bell's palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The methods of intratympanic corticosteroid varied among included studies. Further well-designed randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm the effectiveness and to identify an adequate method of intratympanic corticosteroid in these patients.

Association Between the Number of Intratympanic Steroid Injections and Hearing Recovery in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

The frequency of intratympanic (IT) steroid injection varies from once daily to once weekly or less among studies and does not reach a uniform standard. This study investigated the potential association between the number of IT steroid injections and hearing recovery to determine the optimal number in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients. A retrospective study involving 233 SSNHL patients receiving IT steroids plus batroxobin within 7 days of onset was performed. Patients were followed up for 3 months. More than 15 dB of HL improvement in the pretreatment pure tone average (PTA) was defined as effective. The effective group had a higher IT injection numbers than the ineffective group (≥ 6 times: 84.6 vs. 61.1, p < 0.001). Regardless of the unadjusted model or adjusted model, patients who received more frequent IT steroid injections seemed more likely to recover hearing (unadjusted model, OR, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.06–1.48; p = 0.007; adjusted model, OR, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.01–1.45; p = 0.044). Six IT injections had the highest rate of hearing recovery (79.1%). In conclusion, IT injection number was an independent factor that was positively associated with hearing recovery, and the optimal number of IT steroid injections was 6. Batroxobin plus higher number of IT steroid injections showed more effective for treating SSNHL.