Forty five patients with inner ear damage due to acute otitis media were clinically evaluated.The age of patients ranged from 11 to 74 years (average 43.6 years old). Most of the patientscomplained of a hearing loss and ear fullness after otalgia, and about half of the patients experiencedtinnitus and vertigo. All patients showed a mixed hearing loss in pure tone audiometry. 40out of 45 patients (89%) showed spontaneous nystagmus or caloric dysfunction. Bone threshold inpure tone audiometry was correlated with caloric dysfunction, indicating that the more the damageof the cochlea, the higher the involvement of vestibule. They were treated by systemic administrationof antibiotics, steroids and vitamins, and all the patients showed remarkable recovery of hearing (28 cases out of 38 were completely recovered) and disappearance of spontaneous nystagnus.
