Vol.101 No.10 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 101 No. 10 October 2008
Evaluation of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for the Treatment of
Sudden Hearing Loss in Both Primary and Secondary Cases
Makoto Miura
(Kyoto University, Japanese Red Cross Society Wakayama Medical Center)
Tatsunori Sakamoto, Harukazu Hiraumi, Shinichi Kanemaru and Juichi Ito
(Kyoto University)
This retrospective study included 256 cases with sudden hearing loss treated by hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) in our hospital from 2000 to 2006 (57 primary cases with intravenous steroid administrations, and 199 secondary cases after insufficient effects of initial steroid therapy). Hearing thresholds were ascertained at frequencies of 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz using pure-tone audiometry. To establish the indication of secondary HBO therapy for the treatment of sudden hearing loss, several prognostic factors including initial average hearing thresholds, age, intervals between the onset and beginning of HBO treatment, and the presence or absence of vertigo at onset were evaluated between primary and secondary cases. Although the HBO effects in the secondary were poorer than those in primary cases, one third of the secondary cases indicated hearing threshold gains of over 10 dB. Regardless of an age over 60 years, the presence of vertigo, and/or poor initial average hearing levels, HBO is considered to be an effective choice for secondary therapy of sudden hearing loss in patients within 8 weeks after onset.
Key words :hyperbaric oxygen therapy, sudden deafness, secondary therapy