Successful treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss assures improvement of accompanying tinnitus.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS:

To investigate the long-term outcomes of accompanying tinnitus after steroid therapy for patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

STUDY DESIGN:

Retrospective chart review and survey.

METHODS:

Fifty patients diagnosed with SSNHL accompanied by tinnitus were enrolled and divided into two groups-satisfied and unsatisfied-according to the degree of improvement of tinnitus after SSNHL treatment. Subjective improvement of tinnitus and hearing status were investigated before and 6 months after SSNHL treatment. Hearing improvement was assessed using criteria from our previous study and Siegel's criteria. The change of tinnitus was assessed using a visual analogue scale for tinnitus intensity and frequency.

RESULTS:

Patients with more severe initial hearing loss had less chance of hearing recovery (P = .05). The satisfied group included significantly more cases with better hearing recovery after SSNHL treatment than the unsatisfied group (P = .049). Pure-tone threshold and speech discrimination scores were significantly better in the satisfied group than in the unsatisfied group after SSNHL treatment (P = .033 and P = .018, respectively), although the two groups showed no definitive differences before treatment.

CONCLUSIONS:

Optimal and successful treatment of SSNHL may be an important factor in obtaining favorable long-term control of tinnitus accompanied by SSNHL.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

4. Laryngoscope, 2014.
© 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.