Capelli Marco
ENT Unit, Clinica Villa Antonella, Codogno (Lo), Italy.
Iran J Otorhinolaryngol. 2025;37(4):221-226. doi: 10.22038/ijorl.2025.83020.3794.
Sudden hearing loss represents a medical emergency that can potentially have a highly negative impact on an individual's quality of life. In particular it can represent a serious concern in pediatric age, interfering cognitive and language development. Despite the seriousness of the problem, there is currently no consensus on diagnostic and therapeutic management methods, and the debate is still open.
We present the case of a 15-year-old child with a sudden right-sided hearing loss of profound degree and of idiopathic etiology. Initially he was treated with oral steroid treatment and subsequently to multiple sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy without satisfactory results. Several weeks after the onset of symptoms, the patient underwent a cycle of 3 intratympanic methylprednisolone injections with unexpected hearing recovery.
Intratympanic steroid therapy could represent not only a life-saving therapeutic choice as it is currently considered, but also a first therapeutic choice, particularly in pediatric age, thanks to substantial absence of systemic side effects and the potential efficacy even after many weeks from the onset of symptoms.
突发性听力损失是一种医疗急症，可能对个人生活质量产生极其负面的影响。特别是在儿童时期，它可能是一个严重问题，会干扰认知和语言发展。尽管该问题很严重，但目前在诊断和治疗管理方法上尚未达成共识，争论仍在继续。
我们报告一例15岁儿童，突发右侧严重听力损失，病因不明。最初他接受了口服类固醇治疗，随后进行了多次高压氧治疗，但效果不佳。症状出现几周后，患者接受了3次鼓室内注射甲泼尼龙的疗程，听力意外恢复。
鼓室内类固醇治疗不仅如目前所认为的那样可能是一种挽救生命的治疗选择，而且由于基本没有全身副作用，甚至在症状出现数周后仍有潜在疗效，因此特别是在儿童时期可能是首选治疗方法。
