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Otosyphilis and hearing loss: Response to penicillin and steroid therapy
Author(s) -
Dobbin James M.,
Perkins John H.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-198312000-00003
Subject(s) - medicine , penicillin , syphilis , prednisone , hearing loss , audiology , sensorineural hearing loss , retrospective cohort study , antibiotics , complete response , chemotherapy , immunology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Acquired and congenital syphilis are both known causes of potentially reversible sensorineural hearing loss. Various therapeutic regimens, including penicillin and/or corticosteroids have been used in the past as treatment for otosyphilis. Response rates have varied from 15% to 80%. In this retrospective study, 13 patients with otosyphilis were treated with a combined course of long‐term penicillin and prednisone. A significant response was defined as a 15% improvement in the discrimination score and/or the pure tone average. Initial response rates were 35% with a lasting response rate of 15%. Discrimination scores improved more commonly than pure tone averages. No patient with congenital syphilis or profound deafness had a lasting response. An analysis of possible reasons for failure of therapy is discussed.