Therapeutic efficacy of super-high-dose steroid therapy in patients with profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a comparison with conventional steroid therapy

Abstract

Background: In patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), steroid therapy is an optional treatment method, but there is controversy about its dose. Objective: We aimed to compare the efficacy of super-high-dose steroid therapy with that of conventional steroid therapy in patients with profound SSNHL (pSSNHL). Material and methods: Fifty-two patients diagnosed with pSSNHL between March 2010 and May 2017 were divided into the following groups based on their steroid regimen: a conventional steroid regimen (prednisolone at 1.0 mg/kg/day for 10 days) was applied in Group 1, and a super-high-dose steroid regimen (prednisolone at 1.5 mg/kg/day for 14 days) was applied in Group 2. The treatment outcomes were compared between the groups at 2 and 4 weeks after the initial treatment by use of Siegel’s criteria. Results: Of the 52 patients, 31 were classified into Group 1 and 21 into Group 2. When comparing the proportion of patients in complete or partial recovery by Siegel’s criteria, the recovery rate was significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (19% vs 0%, p = .022 at 2 weeks; 35.7% vs 7.4%, p = 0.035 at 4 weeks). Conclusions and significance: Patients with pSSNHL treated using the super-high-dose steroid regimen demonstrated better recovery rates to serviceable hearing than did those treated using the conventional steroid regimen without significant complications.