Comparative Analysis of the Combined Therapeutic Effects of Lipoprostaglandin E1 on Sudden Idiopathic Sensorineural Hearing Loss

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Viral and vascular disorders are considered to be a major cause of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Lipoprostaglandin E₁ (lipo-PGE₁) has vasodilating activity and has been used to treat ISSNHL. The purpose of this study was to determine the specific therapeutic effects of lipo-PGE₁ and compare them to other treatment modalities for ISSNHL. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study group had 1,052 patients diagnosed with ISSNHL. All were treated with steroid, carbogen inhalation, stellate ganglion block (SGB), or PGE₁. The CP group (steroid, carbogen inhalation, and PGE1 injection; 288 patients) was treated with lipo-PGE₁ and carbogen inhalation, the CS group (steroid, carbogen inhalation, and stellate ganglion block; 232 patients) with steroid, carbogen inhalation, and SGB, the C group (steroid and carbogen inhalation; 284 patients) with steroid and carbogen, and the control group (steroid only; 248 patients) with steroid only. Patients in the groups receiving lipo-PGE₁ received a continuous infusion of 10 µL lipo-PGE₁. RESULTS: The overall recovery rate after treatment was 52.2%, and recovery rates by group were 67.7% in the CP group, 54.3% in the CS group, 52.1% in the C group, and 32.2% in the control group. Therefore, the therapeutic results in groups treated with lipo-PGE₁ were better than results in other groups. The difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggested that the CP group received effective treatment modalities for ISSNHL. The combined therapy of lipo-PGE₁ with carbogen inhalation in patients with ISSNHL was more beneficial than other treatment modalities.

The Study for Combined Therapeutic Effects of Lipoprostaglandin E1 with Carbogen Inhalation on Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a disease, which occur rapidly within 3 days with unknown causes. Vascular and viral mechanisms are considered as the main cause, but an etiologcal background for vascular factors is more assumed. Carbogen inhalation and lipoprostaglandin E1, both of which have vasodilation effects, are used as treatment modalities in SSNHL. The purpose of this study was to recognize the effectiveness of lipo-PGE1 combined with carbogen inhalation, and to compare with other treatment modalities. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The study group consisted of 224 patients (110 males, 114 females) diagnosed with SSNHL. We retrospectively reviewed patients who were admitted and treated from January 2001 to December 2005. All patients were treated with carbogen inhalation and drugs. Stellate ganglion block (SGB) and lipo-PGE1 were applied to patients selectively. Eighty-six patients (DCP group) were treated with lipo-PGE1, 49 patient (DCS group) with SGB, and 89 patients (DC group) without SGB. RESULTS: The overall recovery rates after the treatment were 59.8%. Therapeutic results of lipo-PGE1 group were better than those of other groups. CONCLUSION: Although various treatments for SSNHL have been proposed, lipo-PGE1 and carbogen inhalation were more effective and lipo-PGE1 is considered to be more helpful for SSNHL.

Effects of Carbogen Inhalation and Stellate Ganglion Block in the Treatment of Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Impairment of inner ear circulation may be one of the pathophysiology of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Carbogen inhalation therapy, in which patients breathe a gas mixture of 5% CO2 and 95% O2 by mask, and a stellate ganglion block (SGB) are potent vasodilatation and tissue oxygenation procedures widely used as treatment modalities in ISSNHL. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of each modality and to find out the differences in the effectiveness of carbogen inhalation therapy and SGB. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We reviewed the records of 313 patients who were admitted to the Masan Samsung Hospital from January 1995 to December 2000 for investigation of the efficacy of carbogen inhalation therapy and SGB. One hundred and thirty-one patients were treated with carbogen inhalation, SGB and drug medication, and 57 patients without SGB and 125 patients were treated with medication only. RESULTS: Therapeutic results of carbogen inhalation and SGB group was better than that of medication only group. But no statistical differences were found between the carbogen inhalation and SGB group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that carbogen inhalation and SGB were effective treatment modalities of ISSNHL. We recommend that carbogen inhalation therapy and SGB could be utilized as the standard treatment of ISSNHL.