Therapeutic effect of intra-tympanic dexamethasone-hyaluronic acid combination in sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Introduction: Hearing loss is fairly a common disorder which is usually treated with corticosteroids via systemic administration and/or intra-tympanic injection. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of intra-tympanic injections of dexamethasone with its combination with hyaluronic acid in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 40 patients were randomly assigned to two groups; in the first group, 20 patients received 2.4 mg intra-tympanic dexamethasone, while in the second group patients received injections of 2.4 mg of dexamethasone plus 2 mg of hyaluronic acid in combination. Patients in both groups were injected every other day to a total of three injections. The hearing status of patients was evaluated by pure tone audiometry (bone conduction threshold) before and 2 weeks after the intervention. Results: Assessment of hearing threshold before and after treatment in the two groups showed a significant difference between hearing thresholds at frequencies of 4,000 to 8,000 Hz (P < 0.001). The difference at other frequencies was not meaningful; however, in general, we found a better therapeutic effect in patients who received the combination of dexamethasone and hyaluronic acid. Conclusion: A combination of dexamethasone and hyaluronic acid in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss may be more effective than dexamethasone alone. Because hyaluronic acid lacks certain side effects, and also makes it possible to reduce the steroid dose, we recommend the use of this combination in the treatment of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.