Methylprednisolone versus Dexamethasone for Control of Vertigo in Patients with Definite Meniere's disease

Abstract

Introduction: Definite Meniere's disease is associated with two or more definitive periods of vertigo along with hearing loss, plus tinnitus or aural fullness or both. This study aimed to compare the effect of intratympanic dexamethasone and methylprednisolone on the functional-level scale of pure-tone audiometry (PTA), and class outcome measures of vertigo.

Materials and methods: In this clinical study, 69 patients with definite Meniere's disease, referred to the tertiary otolaryngology center, were randomly assigned to two groups: 36 patients were treated with intratympanic dexamethasone (4mg/dl) and 33 patients were treated with intratympanicmethylprednisolone (40mg/dl). Each group received three weekly injections. After a follow-up of 1 and 6 months, PTA changes and vertigo control were evaluated.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with regard to control of vertigo (P=0.866, P=0.879 for 1 and 6 months post injection, respectively). PTA improvement was statistically significantly higher in the methylprednisolone group (P=0.006).

Conclusion: In summary, intratympanic corticosteroid is an effective treatment for Meniere's disease and can prevent other invasive treatments. Intratympanic methylprednisolone can improve hearing level to a greater extent than intratympanic dexamethasone, but the two groups were similarly beneficial in controlling vertigo. However, there was a trend toward a more sustained benefit with methylprednisolone.

Keywords: Dexamethasone; Intratympanic injection; Meniere disease; Methylprednisolone; Vertigo.