OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patients' quality of life following intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion in management of Meniere's disease (MD). METHODS: This is a retrospective study in a tertiary referral center that uses the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI). Intratympanic perfusion of 24mg/ml of dexamethasone was administered after failure to respond to previous management with diuretics and low-salt diet. GBI questionnaires were collected and analyzed in a 12 months follow-up of participating patients. RESULTS: Thirty patients (20 women and 10 men, aged 28-85 years) with MD underwent intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion and were assessed with the assistance of GBI questionnaire. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 48 months (mean 30 months). Audiometric results were also available in all of them. In the short term (4 weeks post-perfusion) 6 patients demonstrated a greater than 10dB improvement in PTA, and 6 patients had an increase in SDS of at least 15%, while in the long-term (12 months post-perfusion) the number of patients in the respective groups decreased to 5 and 2. With regards to the GBI responses, 9 patients (50%) expressed an overall benefit, while 6 (33%) expressed no benefit and 3 patients (17%) complained of negative effect after the intervention. CONCLUSION: The mean GBI score indicates substantial improvement in patients' overall quality of life following intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion, which was also confirmed by the audiometric results.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patients' quality of life following intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion in management of Meniere's disease (MD). METHODS: This is a retrospective study in a tertiary referral center that uses the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI). Intratympanic perfusion of 24mg/ml of dexamethasone was administered after failure to respond to previous management with diuretics and low-salt diet. GBI questionnaires were collected and analyzed in a 12 months follow-up of participating patients. RESULTS: Thirty patients (20 women and 10 men, aged 28-85 years) with MD underwent intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion and were assessed with the assistance of GBI questionnaire. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 48 months (mean 30 months). Audiometric results were also available in all of them. In the short term (4 weeks post-perfusion) 6 patients demonstrated a greater than 10dB improvement in PTA, and 6 patients had an increase in SDS of at least 15%, while in the long-term (12 months post-perfusion) the number of patients in the respective groups decreased to 5 and 2. With regards to the GBI responses, 9 patients (50%) expressed an overall benefit, while 6 (33%) expressed no benefit and 3 patients (17%) complained of negative effect after the intervention. CONCLUSION: The mean GBI score indicates substantial improvement in patients' overall quality of life following intratympanic dexamethasone perfusion, which was also confirmed by the audiometric results.