Intratympanic Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Preliminary Prospective Study

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) is a distressing condition with limited treatment options. This prospective study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of intratympanic Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) as a salvage treatment for SSNHL. 56 consecutive patients with unilateral SSNHL, unresponsive to conventional treatments, were administered two intratympanic injections of autologous PRP 10 days apart and hearing threshold evaluated after one month. Audiometric data before and after PRP injections revealed a significant mean hearing gain of 11.99 dB which was more in lower frequencies (250, 500, 1000 Hz) reaching upto 13.88dB. Notably, improvement was observed in patients with amino glycoside-induced hearing loss, even after prolonged symptom duration. Additionally, 8 out of 17 patients reported subjective improvement in tinnitus. No serious adverse events were noted, and patients tolerated the procedure well. Intratympanic PRP holds promise as a salvage treatment for SSNHL, particularly in cases where conventional treatments have failed. Further research with larger sample sizes and comparative studies is warranted to establish PRP's role as a primary therapy for SSNHL and explore its long-term benefits. Its role in treatment of tinnitus also needs to be explored.