Intratympanic steroid injection for sudden sensorineural hearing loss: Impact of injection interval on therapeutic efficacy

Objective To compare the effect of injection time intervals of intratympanic (IT) dexamethasone (DEX) in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Methods Seventy-five adults with ISSNHL were grouped into four groups according to the IT DEX interval. In addition to concurrent oral steroid medication for two weeks, patients received IT DEX injections every 1, 2, 3, and four days, respectively. (Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4). We evaluated the treatment outcomes according to modified criteria from “Clinical Practice Guideline: Sudden Hearing Loss” of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO HNS) to justify treatment success. Results There were no significant differences in demographic and baseline audiometric data. The mean of pure tone audiometry (PTA) and speech discrimination score (SDSs) were significantly improved after oral steroid and IT DEX treatment in all four groups. Group 1 showed significantly higher improvement than Group 4 in PTA after treatment. There was a significantly higher complete recovery (CR) rate in Group 1 than Group 4. Conclusion We found a statistically significant difference in the complete hearing recovery rate and audiometric results (PTA) between the group with a daily interval of injections and the group with a four-day time interval. Therefore, daily time intervals in intratympanic steroid injection may be considered as an option for better improvement of hearing in patients with ISSNHL.