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Review
. 2013 Jul 2;2013(7):CD003998.
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003998.pub3.

Steroids for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Benjamin P C Wei  1 , Dimitra Stathopoulos, Stephen O'Leary
Affiliations
Review

Steroids for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Benjamin P C Wei et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. .

Abstract

Background: This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in The Cochrane Library in Issue 1, 2006 and previously updated in 2009.Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is a clinical diagnosis characterised by a sudden deafness of cochlear or retrocochlear origin in the absence of a clear precipitating cause. Steroids are commonly prescribed to treat this condition. There is no consensus on their effectiveness.

Objectives: To determine whether steroids in the treatment of ISSHL a) improve hearing (primary) and b) reduce tinnitus (secondary).To determine the incidence of significant side effects from the medication.

Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); PubMed; EMBASE; CINAHL; Web of Science; Cambridge Scientific Abstracts; ICTRP and additional sources for published and unpublished trials. The date of the most recent search was 22 April 2013.

Selection criteria: We identified all randomised controlled trials (with or without blinding) in which steroids were evaluated in comparison with either no treatment or a placebo. We considered trials including the use of steroids in combination with another treatment if the comparison control group also received the same other treatment. The two authors reviewed the full-text articles of all the retrieved trials of possible relevance and applied the inclusion criteria independently.

Data collection and analysis: We graded trials for risk of bias using the Cochrane approach. The data extraction was performed in a standardised manner by one author and rechecked by the other author. Where necessary we contacted investigators to obtain the missing information. Meta-analysis was neither possible nor considered appropriate because of the heterogeneity of the populations studied and the differences in steroid formulations, dosages and duration of treatment. We analysed and reported the quality of the results of each study individually. A narrative overview of the results is presented.

Main results: Only three trials, involving 267 participants, satisfied the inclusion criteria and all three studies were at high risk of bias. One trial showed a lack of effect of oral steroids in improving hearing compared with the placebo control group. The second trial showed a significant improvement of hearing in 61% of the patients receiving oral steroid and in only 32% of the patients from the control group (combination of placebo-treated group and untreated control group). The third trial also showed a lack of effect of oral steroids in improving hearing compared with the placebo control. However, this trial did not follow strict inclusion criteria for participant selection and analysis of data was limited by significant exclusion of participants from the final analysis and lack of participant compliance to the treatment protocol. No clear evidence was presented in two trials about any harmful side effects of the steroids. Only one study declared that no patients suffered from adverse effects of the steroid treatment.

Authors' conclusions: The value of steroids in the treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss remains unclear since the evidence obtained from randomised controlled trials is contradictory in outcome, in part because the studies are based upon too small a number of patients.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None known.

Figures

1.1
1.1. Analysis
Comparison 1 Oral steroid versus oral placebo immediately post‐treatment, Outcome 1 Hearing recovery: average speech frequencies (500, 1000, 2000 Hz).
1.2
1.2. Analysis
Comparison 1 Oral steroid versus oral placebo immediately post‐treatment, Outcome 2 Hearing improvement: average hearing level at six frequencies (250 to 8000 Hz).
1.3
1.3. Analysis
Comparison 1 Oral steroid versus oral placebo immediately post‐treatment, Outcome 3 Hearing improvement: high‐tone hearing level average (4000, 8000 Hz).
2.1
2.1. Analysis
Comparison 2 Oral steroid versus oral placebo at follow‐up (14 to 90 days, average 33 days), Outcome 1 Hearing improvement: average speech frequencies (500, 1000, 2000 Hz).
2.2
2.2. Analysis
Comparison 2 Oral steroid versus oral placebo at follow‐up (14 to 90 days, average 33 days), Outcome 2 Hearing improvement: average hearing level at six frequencies (250 to 8000 Hz).
2.3
2.3. Analysis
Comparison 2 Oral steroid versus oral placebo at follow‐up (14 to 90 days, average 33 days), Outcome 3 Hearing improvement: high‐tone hearing level average (4000, 8000 Hz).
3.1
3.1. Analysis
Comparison 3 Oral steroid versus oral placebo (4 weeks and 3 months follow‐up), Outcome 1 Hearing recovery (see 'Description of studies' for definition).
4.1
4.1. Analysis
Comparison 4 Recovery by group for steroid‐effective zone patients only (see 'Results' section), Outcome 1 Hearing recovery (see 'Description of studies' for definition).
5.1
5.1. Analysis
Comparison 5 Prednisolone versus placebo, Outcome 1 Hearing improvement 8 days after treatment.
5.2
5.2. Analysis
Comparison 5 Prednisolone versus placebo, Outcome 2 Hearing improvement 3 months after diagnosis of SSHL.
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References to other published versions of this review

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