Abstract
A retrospective short term review from 2005 to 2008 was conducted on 42 patients (62 impaired ears) considered to have autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) and on all patients positive for antibody for a 68kDa bovine inner ear antigen. Pure tone average (PTA) at 250Hz, 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz and 4kHz was used as objective measure of outcome. The patients were treated with immunosuppressive drugs of cyclophosphamide and prednisone (CPMPSL therapy). At the end of the study, 33 of 62 impaired ears (53.2%) exhibited a positive response to therapy. The PTA of the patients demonstrated with recovery was significantly low level and short interval from attack to CPMPSL therapy as compared with those of patients who resulted in better and stable. Fourteen patients with vertigo were all recovered by CPMPSL therapy significantly. Half of patients with AIED obtained a benefit from immunosuppressive therapy. Hearing loss of patients without vertigo was significantly improved as compared with that of patients with vertigo. This study concluded that early diagnosis and early immunosuppressive therapy on AIED would improve prognosis.
