Background: Patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) in Japan are generally initiated on steroid therapy as soon as possible following the onset of hearing loss. On the other hand, there are several reports to suggest that some patients with ISSNHL are cured even without oral or intravenous steroid therapy.
Subjects and Methods: In the current study, data of five patients with ISSNHL who did not receive steroid therapy, batroxobin, or prostaglandin E1, and of 169 patients with ISSNHL who had received these treatments were retrospectively analyzed. The severity and type of hearing loss, hearing level change, and past clinical history were evaluated. The inclusion criteria of the cases, severity of hearing loss, and hearing improvement were evaluated using the criteria defined by the Research Committee of the Ministry of Health and Welfare for Acute Profound Deafness of Japan.
Results: The five patients with ISSNHL who did not receive steroid therapy included three Grade 2 cases, and two Grade 3 cases. The cure rate in these five cases was 40.0%, and those in the Grade 2 and Grade 3 cases were 33.3%, and 50.0%, respectively.
Conclusions: Some cases of ISSNHL appeared to be cured even without steroid therapy.
