Intratympanic gentamicin in Ménière's disease: our experience.

AIMS: To analyse intratympanic gentamicin injection as a treatment option in patients with monolateral Ménière's disease resistant to medical treatment.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Longitudinal, prospective, descriptive study of response to gentamicin treatment in 71 patients diagnosed with Ménière's disease and treated medically for more than a year, unsuccessfully. American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery criteria were used for diagnosis and follow up.

RESULTS

Complete vertigo control was obtained in 65.6 per cent of patients, and complete or substantial control in 84.37 per cent. Thirteen patients (18.3 per cent) suffered significant hearing loss.

CONCLUSION

This intratympanic gentamicin injection protocol enabled effective vertigo control in most patients, and represents a good alternative to more aggressive techniques for the treatment of Ménière's disease which does not respond to medical treatment.