The etiology of sudden deafness is not yet known. Thus, proper evaluation of the validity of its treatment is important in order to elucidate the pathogenesis of this desease. The deafness is characterized by the fact that spontaneous recovery is quite common.
Based on the statistical analysis of the data from 625 cases of sudden deafness (1974-1985), it was revealed that the following factors were of prognostic importance; ie. time after the onset, hearing level and pattern of the audiogram at the initial visit and presence of the vestibular symptoms.
In this study, the author established the criteria which were necessary to predict the prognosis of the sudden deafness. In addition, the relationship between the factors mentioned above and cure rate, degree of improvement of threshold and the fixed hearing level was examined, and the validity of various treatment modalities was re-evaluated. The conclusions obstained in this study were as follows;
1. In the patients who visited our hospital within 15 days after the onset, complete recovery rate should be taken into account.
2. In those visiting later than 16 days after the onset, prognosis should be based on the degree of improvement of hearing level.
3. In evaluating the patients only on the basis of “time after the onset”, at least 51 cases are necessary for statistical analysis.
4. For the patients who visited us within 8 days after the onset, no treatment modalities were regarded as effective which include administrations of steroids, low molecular dextran, urografin, ATP compounds or vitamins, and stellate ganglion block.
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