[The long-term results of treatment of Ménière's disease with intratympanic injections of gentamicin].

Objective: To estimate the results of treatment of Ménière's disease with intratympanic injections of gentamicin.

Material: 37 patients with defined, pharmacological treatment resistant Ménière's disease treated in Department of Otolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology of University of Medical Sciences in Poznań with intratympanic injections of gentamicin from 2001 to 2010 year.

Methods: Patients were injected intratympanic with 0.3 ml (12 mg) of gentamicin once or few times with 7 days or longer breaks and a number of injections depended on the reaction of the inner ear. We estimated the patients' subjective feelings and results of equilibrium and hearing organ examination in early (3 months) and late (2 years) period after treatment.

Results: Complete control of vertigo (class A) was achieved in 84.6%, and complete and essential control (class A and B) in 96.1%. Hearing deterioration usually mild or moderate was observed directly after treatment in 16.2% and after 2 years in 23% patients. The results of pure tone audiometry showed deterioration of hearing in 16.2% (early) and 26.9% (late). In 1 patient hearing deterioration was essential.

Conclusions: Intratympanic injections of gentamicin are effective and not troublesome method of treatment of pharmacological treatment resistant Ménière's disease. In most of patients hearing can be preserved, but they should be always informed about possible risk of hearing deterioration. The number of injections and breaks between them depends on the effect of therapy and of expectations of patients.