Impacts of different methylprednisolone administration routes in patients with sudden hearing loss or Meniere’s disease

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that glucocorticoids are important in the treatment of sudden hearing loss (SHL) and Meniere’s disease (MD). However, different glucocorticoid administration methods may have a significant impact on treatment outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate effects of different glucocorticoid administration methods on sudden hearing loss and Meniere’s disease. METHODS: In this study, glucocorticoids were administered orally in 18 patients, by retroauricular injection in 15 patients and by intratympanic injection in 15 patients. White blood cell (WBC) count, serum K(+), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure were used to evaluate effects of glucocorticoids on patients with hearing loss. Visual analog scale (VAS) of pain and sleep disorders were also surveyed, and pure tone audiometry (PTA) results were compared among groups to evaluate efficacy of different glucocorticoids administration methods. RESULT: WBC count, heart rate and blood pressure were higher in patients taking oral glucocorticoids, while body temperature, serum K(+) and FPG levels did not change in all three groups. However, patients who received intratympanic injection of glucocorticoids experienced more pain, while those taking oral glucocorticoids reported more sleep impairment. Treatment efficacy on hearing loss was not significantly different among the three groups. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that systemic glucocorticoid administration can result in greater whole body responses than local administration, but with similar hearing treatment efficacy.