Intratympanic Microwick Placement

Excerpt

Neurotology disorders of the inner ear, such as hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus, negatively affect a large proportion of the population. Systemic medications rarely achieve the required therapeutic concentrations within the inner ear, and the direct delivery of medications to inner ear structures has long posed a challenge to practitioners. Intratympanic injections and tympanostomy tubes have been used to facilitate the transport of medications to these difficult-to-access structures. Intratympanic injections have been used to medically manage idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), Ménière Disease (MD), and autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED). The placement of an intratympanic MicroWick permits the distribution of therapeutic pharmaceuticals directly to the inner ear, specifically to the round window membrane and perilymph.