Intratympanic gentamicin treatment after endolymphatic sac surgery

Conclusions. Interval treatment with up to three intratympanic gentamicin injections once weekly effectively controlled vertigo while preserving hearing in patients with Meniere's disease and recurrent or resistant vertigo after saccotomy. Objectives. Recurrent or resistant incapacitating vertigo may occur after endolymphatic sac surgery (saccotomy) in patients with Meniere's disease. In these patients, revision saccotomy, vestibular nerve section or labyrinthectomy are the established treatment options. We advocate a once-weekly application of intratympanic gentamicin (12 mg) as an effective alternative in this group of patients. Material and methods. Five patients (age range 39-65 years) with definite Meniere's disease according to the 1995 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) criteria and incapacitating vertigo underwent gentamicin treatment after saccotomy. Control of vertigo and hearing preservation were the aims of treatment. The follow-up period ranged from 26 to 59 months. History and pure-tone audiometry were used to assess vertigo control and hearing, respectively. The frequency of vertigo in the 6-month period before gentamicin treatment ranged between 0.5 and four definitive episodes per month. Hearing stage (AAO-HNS criteria) before gentamicin treatment ranged between 2 and 4. Pre- and post-treatment pure-tone hearing thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 kHz were compared by means of the Mann-Whitney U-test. Results. Complete vertigo control (class A; AAO-HNS) and hearing preservation at 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 kHz were achieved.