Predictive Factors for the Success of Intratympanic Dexamethasone Treatment of Acute Subjective Tinnitus.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors predicting the success or failure of intratympanic dexamethasone (ITD) injection in the treatment of acute subjective tinnitus (AST).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We enrolled patients who were treated with ITD within 3 months of the onset of tinnitus, between 2013 and 2017. We compared the clinical characteristics and audiological data of the patients in the cured group (n=38, 45.6±13.3 years old) and the nonresponder group (n=40, 48.9±18.6 years old).

RESULTS

The cured group was predominantly female (p=0.002). The mean duration of tinnitus before ITD was shorter in the cured group than the nonresponder group (p=0.002). The pure-tone averages in both sides were lower in the cured group than in the nonresponder group (p=0.018). The time of tinnitus awareness was shorter in the cured group than in the nonresponder group (p=0.014). Multivariable analysis showed that the duration of tinnitus (odds ratio [OR]=1.045), a history of exposure to noise just before tinnitus development (OR=7.766), and distortion product otoacoustic emissions results (OR=4.580) predicted the outcome of ITD treatment in AST.

CONCLUSION

A short duration of tinnitus, no history of immediate noise exposure, and normal distortion product otoacoustic emissions could be favorable prognostic factors for AST treated with ITD injection.