Abstract
The relationship between caloric responses and symptoms was examined. Caloric tests were performed in 61 patients treated with streptomycin sulfate (SM). The patients were divided into 3 groups ; group I (12 patients) in which caloric responses were reduced unilaterally or bilaterally, and there were inner ear, mainly vestibular, symptoms ; group II (16 patients) with reduced caloric responses and no symptoms. Group III (33 patients) with no symptoms and normal caloric responses. The average age of group I patients was higher than that of group II patients. The total dose and the duration of SM therapy was less in group I than in group II. The average of each dose of SM was similar in the three groups.
The results suggest that the caloric response is useful as a monitor for the prevention of SM ototoxicity. Vestibular symptoms were often found in older patients treated with SM and also in those who had received small amounts of SM.
