Steroids for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Background: This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in The Cochrane Library in Issue 1, 2006. Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is a clinical diagnosis characterised by a sudden deafness of cochlear or retrocochlear origin in the absence of a clear precipitating cause. Steroids are commonly prescribed to treat this condition. There is no consensus on their effectiveness. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness and the side-effect profile of steroids in the treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Search strategy: We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Tri..