BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The etiology of Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is uncertain, but viral infection and disturbance of blood circulation in the inner ear are suspected as the causes of the disease, and a stellate ganglion block (SGB) and antiviral agent (Acyclovir) have been used in its treatment. The purpose of this study was to find out the effect of SGB and antiviral agent in the treatment of ISSHL and to find out appropriate patients to evaluate the therapeutic effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 193 patients (202 ears) who were admitted to the Presbyterian Medical Center from January 1994 to August 2000. Fifty-eight ears were treated with acyclovir and sixty nine ears were treated with SGB and seventy five ears were treated as a control group. RESULTS: The therapeutic result of SGB was better than that of control group and acyclovir had more effect on the subgroups when the initial hearing loss was 41dB~70dB. In the patients with initial hearing level worse than 71dB, the recovery rates were constant regardless of the group. And the patients who were treated after 8 days from the onset had analogic recovery rate to each remedy. CONCLUSION: The patients with the initial hearing level of worse than 71dB and who visited the clinic within 7days of the onset were found to be appropriate candidates for the evaluation of therapeutic effects of ISSHL and SGB. SGB was recommended for the treatment of ISSHL and antiviral agents for patients between the hearing levels of 410dB-70dB.
Acyclovir ; Antiviral Agents ; Blood Circulation ; Ear ; Ear, Inner ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural* ; Humans ; Protestantism ; Stellate Ganglion*