Introduction and objective:

Ménière's disease (MS) is characterized by recurrent vertigo attacks with tinnitus, hearing loss and aural fullness. Among the therapeutic options, intratympanic injection of gentamicin (ITG) will be discussed, among others. The objective is to evaluate hearing loss after ITG in patients with MS.

Method:

33 patients of the Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Service of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Salamanca will be studied, all of them with definitive MS to whom ITG was administered. Hearing loss will be assessed one month after the ITG, at 6, 12 and 24 months.

Results:

Of the 33 patients analyzed, 78.8% had unilateral MS; 21.2%, bilateral. 48.5% were women; 51.5%, men. 39.4% had already been treated with betahistine and corticosteroids. 9 patients presented Tumarkin crisis before ITG. The PTA (Pure Tone Average) prior to ITG administration was compared with that obtained at 2 years and hearing decreased from 57.50 dB to 62.58 dB. 9 patients required a second round of ITG, with a hearing loss ranging from 66.72 dB to 68.96 dB. And after this, 3 patients needed a third wave, hearing from 63.75dB to 72.50 dB.

Conclusions:

The use of ITG in MS causes a fall in PTA of around 5 dB at the expense of an improvement in the frequency and intensity of vertigo attacks.

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