Audiological outcomes and related clinical indicators of intratympanic steroid injection therapy in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and alcohol consumption.

BACKGROUND: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an acute otologic disorder with heterogeneous clinical presentations and diverse hearing recovery outcomes. Alcohol consumption has been implicated in vascular and metabolic alterations that may affect inner ear function; however, its influence on hearing outcomes following intratympanic steroid injection (ITSI) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the audiological outcomes and identify factors associated with hearing recovery in SSNHL patients with alcohol consumption treated with ITSI. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 103 patients with SSNHL and active alcohol consumption who were treated with ITSI at a tertiary medical center. Alcohol intake was quantified based on the reported daily number of beer bottles consumed. Patients were stratified into ≤1 bottle/day and >1 bottle/day groups. Audiological outcomes were evaluated before and after ITSI, and hearing recovery was categorized according to Siegel's criteria. Factors associated with hearing recovery were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 52.66 ± 15.41 years, with mean gains of 15.62 ± 19.15 dB in mean hearing level, 15.93 ± 29.83 dB in SRT, and 17.98 ± 33.46% in SDS. Complete or partial recovery was achieved in 29 patients (28.16%). No significant association was observed between alcohol consumption level and either hearing gains or recovery rates. Tinnitus, vertigo, aural fullness, higher HbA1c levels, and a profound audiometric configuration emerged as significant predictors of poorer hearing recovery in the univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that vertigo (OR = 0.1732), aural fullness (OR = 0.1832), elevated HbA1c (OR = 0.1661), and a profound pure-tone audiometry pattern (OR = 0.0419) remained independently associated with reduced odds of hearing recovery. CONCLUSION: In patients with SSNHL and alcohol consumption, ITSI was associated with overall audiological improvement across multiple hearing parameters. Prognosis appeared to be more closely related to clinical characteristics, metabolic status, and audiometric configuration. Careful assessment of these variables may therefore assist clinicians in risk stratification, prognostic counseling, and the development of more individualized management strategies for this patient population.