Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2006 Oct;49(10):973-977.

Analysis of Therapeutic Effects of Lipo-Prostaglandin E1 for Treatment of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

• Ahn JH
• Kim TY
• Kim YJ
• Han MW
• Yoon TH
• Lee KS
• Chung JW

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), possibly due to microvascular damage as well as increased blood viscosity and embolic and thrombotic episodes. To perform a prospective, randomized clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic effect of lipo-prostaglandin E(1) (lipo-PGE(1)) on SSNHL in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHOD : The study group consisted of 270 patients (130 males, 140 females) consecutively diagnosed with SSNHL. Patients were classified as diabetic or nondiabetic by the new American Diabetes Association criteria. With the approval of the institute ethics committee, patients were randomly assigned to treatment with a continuous infusion of 10 L lipo-PGE(1) (lipo-PGE(1) group) or saline (placebo group). In addition, all patients studied were treated with 48 mg methylprednisolone for 5 days.
RESULTS
: The overall recovery rates after treatment were 51.5% in diabetic and 64.2% in nondiabetic patients. In diabetic patients, there was a significantly higher rate of hearing improvement in the lipo-PGE(1) group (64.7%) than in the placebo group (37.5%), whereas, in nondiabetic patients, there was no significant difference in the rate of hearing improvement between the lipo-PGE(1) group (70.3%) and the placebo group (58.3%).
CONCLUSION
: Lipo-PGE(1) may have beneficial effects in the treatment of SSNHL in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes.

Keyword

Diabetes mellitus; Sudden hearing loss; Lipo-prostaglandin E(1)

MeSH Terms

Blood Viscosity
Diabetes Mellitus
Ethics Committees
Hearing
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural*
Hearing Loss, Sudden
Humans
Male
Methylprednisolone
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
Methylprednisolone