Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2018 Apr;61(4):177-181. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2017.00507.

The Comparison of Short-Term Therapeutic Effects of Acute Low-Tone Sensorineural Hearing Loss according to Steroid Capacity

• Lee SA
• Lee SJ
• Jung DY
• Kim BG
• Lee CK
• Choi SJ
• Lee BD
• Hwang K
• Lee JD

• KMID: 2436453
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2017.00507

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss refers to a condition wherein thresholds increase only at low frequencies in pure-tone audiometry. Systemic steroid treatment is commonly used for acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss without vertigo, but there has been no established treatment in most clinical researches. The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the short-term effects of high- and half-dose oral steroid therapy on patients suffering from acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss without vertigo.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Forty-six patients diagnosed with acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss were divided into two groups and treated with high-dose (24 patients) and half-dose (22 patients) steroids, respectively. A retrospective analysis was conducted on their medical records.
RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the two groups in any of the following: age, sex ratio, duration of symptoms before treatment, pure-tone hearing thresholds, low frequency hearing thresholds and speech intelligibility. However, both groups showed significant differences in hearing thresholds before and after treatment. In addition, no significant difference was noted in the recovery and recurrence rate between the two groups.
CONCLUSION
According to the results of this study, there is no difference in treatment effect between the high- and half-dose groups. Therefore, half-dose steroids may be used as a treatment option for acute low tone sensorineural hearing loss.

Keyword

Low-tone; Sensorineural hearing loss; Steroid

MeSH Terms

Audiometry, Pure-Tone
Hearing
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural*
Humans
Medical Records
Methods
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Sex Ratio
Speech Intelligibility
Steroids
Therapeutic Uses*
Vertigo
Steroids
Therapeutic Uses