Efficacy of steroid treatment for sudden sensorineural hearing loss in patients with vestibular schwannoma

Abstract

Background Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has several aetiologies and may be a presenting symptom of vestibular schwannoma (VS). Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the recovery rate after steroid treatment and the prognostic factors of SSNHL with VS. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective observational study wherein 32 patients with VS who presented with SSNHL were analysed at a tertiary referral centre. Hearing gain and prognostic factors were the main outcome measures for steroid treatment intervention. Results Among the 1698 patients presenting with SSNHL, VS was found in 43 (2.5%) patients. Eleven cases (34.3%) showed good recovery, with significant improvements in the pure-tone audiometry values. Even though age was a significant factor, there were no associations between steroid response and initial hearing level, presence of vertigo, tumour size, and tumour extension. Conclusions and Significance Our study showed that hearing recovery of SSNHL does not exclude a VS diagnosis. We suggest that steroid treatment be considered in patients with VS presenting SSNHL.