Methylprednisolone use during radiotherapy extenuates hearing loss in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To investigate the hearing protective effects of methylprednisolone use during radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, controlled clinical study. METHODS Fifty-three patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (106 ears). Twenty-five patients (50 ears) received radiotherapy with intravenous methylprednisolone for 14 days, and another 28 patients (56 ears) received radiotherapy alone. Pure tone audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) results were reviewed before and 1 year after radiotherapy. RESULT One year after radiotherapy, the air-and-bone conduction pure tone hearing thresholds increased, and the DPOAE levels decreased in the control group. There was no difference in the ABR wave I, III, and V latencies and the I to V interwave latencies before and 1 year after radiotherapy. The pure tone air conduction thresholds decreased, and the DPOAE levels increased in the treatment group compared with the control group. CONCLUSION Early sensorineural hearing loss after radiotherapy primarily affected the outer hair cells. The use of methylprednisolone during radiotherapy can extenuate early sensorineural hearing loss caused by irradiation.