Background: Intratympanic corticosteroid (IC), intravenous batroxobin (IB) as the treatment for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has been reported. However, the data on combination therapy (CT) was scarce.
Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the efficacy of IC, IB, and CT in the treatment of SSNHL with diabetes.
Material and methods: A total of 212 SSNHL patients with diabetes, who were initially treated within 14 days of onset of disease, were divided into three groups by treatment modality. The hearing recovery was evaluated by the results of pure-tone test after completion of treatment. The prognostic factors, including age, severity of initial hearing loss, duration to onset of treatment, and audiometric curve type, were further compared.
Results: There was a significant difference in hearing recovery by the treatment (p < .05). Recovery rates in the CT group were significantly higher in patients with early treatment than with delayed treatment (p = .021). However, duration and recovery rate was not significantly correlated in IC and IB group (p > .05). In patients recieving early treatment, the recovery rate in CT group was significantly higher than that in IC (p = .013) and IB group (p = .029). Regardless of treatment, the recovery rates were higher in patients with flat and ascending audiograms (p < .05).
Conclusions and significance: Patients receiving combined therapy, especially in the early stage of SSNHL, could achieve significantly superior recovery in the treatment of SSNHL with diabetes, compared with those using IC or IB alone.
Keywords: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss; combination; defibrinogenation therapy; intratympanic injection; steroid.