Conclusions: Triamcinolone-soaked fascia seems to show better hearing improvement when added to tympanotomy for sudden idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), compared to fascia round window occlusion without triamcinolone.
Objectives: To analyse if adding triamcinolone to sealing the round and oval window niches with fascia results in improved audiological outcome for acute SNHL.
Methods: Fifty-three patients (27m:43 ± 12 years, 26f:45 ± 14 years) with acute SSHL ≥50dB over 3 frequencies, who failed primary therapy, underwent transcanal tympanotomy. Twenty-five patients (Group A;cortisone:14m, 11f:46 ± 9 years) received sealing of the round and oval window with fascia soaked in triamcinolone (1ml; 40mg/ml) and 28 controls (Group B;no-cortisone:13m, 15f, 42 ± 12 years) without triamcinolone. Frequency specific and pure tone average (PTA =500-1000-2000-3000Hz) results were compared between Group A and B pre- and postoperatively.
Results: In Group A the PTA improved by ≥10dB in 21/25(83%) cases; in Group B 18/28(63%). Group A showed a statistically significantly better improvement across all frequencies, while linear regression revealed a significant decrease of posttherapeutic PTA to 94.96% of the initial PTA (p = .037). The overall PTA improved by 24dB. Group A improved from 73dB to 41dB(-32dB) PTA, Group B improved from 76dB to 56dB PTA (-20dB) (p < .05). Group A showed a significant additional decrease of 12.8dB (p < .001).
Keywords: Tympanotomy; acute sensorineural hearing loss; cortisone; triamcinolone.