The number of elderly patients who have been suffering with presbycusis and tinnitus is gradually are increasing. It is well known that drugs such as vasodilators, metabolic stimulators, vitamin-B complexes and tranquilizers are used in the treatment of tinnitus. Kallikrein is one of these medicaments. It acts as a capillary vasodilator, and has been for the past 50 years and received high evaluations in clinical appilication. In this clinical study, the authors have clarified the efficacy of Depot-Kallikrein injection (40 KU) for the 25 elderly patients, who had previously been treated with six tablets of Kallikrein (10 KU) daily. Before clinical application, the complaints of tinnitus were divided to 5 classes and were separated into 5 graded points as determined by quality and tone-height of tinnitus. The patients received intramuscular injections once or twice a week. The efficacy of this injection was evaluated according to the alteration of the graded points. Tinnitus was decreased significantly to 70.0+21.0% in the second week after administration of Depot-Kallikrein, and 39.0+21.0% in the fourth week. The above results suggest that Depot-Kallikrein is useful for treatament of tinnitus in elderly patients.
