Unilateral Meniere's disease; intra tympanic injection of low dose gentamicin in the treatment

ABSTRACT: Meniere's disease is chronic progressive disease with unclear idiopathic etiology and symptomatic improvements with treatment

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Objectives: To analyze the efficacy of low dose intratympanic injection of gentamicin for vertigo control in unilateral Meniere's disease. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Settings: Department of ENT, PIMS, NESCOM and IMDC Islamabad

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Materials and Methods: Gentamicin was used intra tympanically in this multicentre study of 75 patients over a period of 8.5 years between 1[st] January 2005 to 30[th] June 2013 in definite Meniere's disease according to the 1995 Document of American academy of otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery [AAO-HNS].All these centers followed same criteria and procedures. Single dose of 1 ml Gentamicin solution 40 mg/ml was instilled in the middle ear through the grommet under microscope and followed up for 3 months and two years. The staging of disease [hearing thresholds] the degree of disability [frequency of attacks per month] and the functional level were assessed before and after treatment

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Results: Among 75 patients, 41 were female and 34 were males between age ranges of 25 to 70 years. Most of the patients in the study had stage 2 [23/75] and stage 3 [41/75] Meniere's disease. About 68[91%] patients were having good control of vertigo at the end of two year of intratympanic gentamicin without any loss of hearing

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Conclusion: A single Low dose intratympanic gentamicin is effective in controlling vertigo in patients with Meniere's disease with no further deterioration in hearing for at least two years follow up