Intratympanic Dexamethasone Delivery versus Placebo in Intractable Meniere Disease

Numerous treatments strategies were used for Meniere disease (MD). In this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy of intratympanic dexamethasone versus intratympanic placebo in intractable MD.
This was a single-blinded randomized clinical trial. All patients with Intractable MD underwent ventilation tube insertion into tympanic membrane and were randomly allocated to two groups of 18-patients. The patients of the first group used dexamethasone base drop (placebo) every other day, the second group used dexamethasone drop for 3 months, and all patients were followed for 12 months.
Control of vertigo and tinnitus with dexamethasone was more than the placebo, but there was no statistically significance difference between two groups (P > 0.05). Hearing function improvement and aural fullness resolution were higher in the placebo group, but there was no statistically significance difference, too (P > 0.05). Vertigo control in dexamethasone group in our study ranged from 72.2% to 83.3% of patients at different intervals. These figures ranged from 66.6% to 83.3% in placebo group. The highest rate of hearing function improvement in our study was 27.7% in placebo group. Tinnitus also followed the same pattern as hearing function.
Intratympanic dexamethasone for MD is very satisfactory if medical treatment fails with good vertigo control and no risk to hearing.