Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42900206›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2026

Does local steroid therapy improve outcomes in acute otitis media with serous labyrinthitis? A retrospective analysis.

H T Fischer, F Keller, C Schmit, F Theurl, M Santer, A Hils, L Stecher, F Koller, L Schmutzler, T Gottfried and 3 more

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Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

H T FischerUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
F KellerUniv.-Klinik Für Innere Medizin IV (Nephrologie Und Hypertensiologie), Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Österreich.
C SchmitUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich. Charles.schmit@i-med.ac.at.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-0741-0394
F TheurlUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
M SanterUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
A HilsUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
L StecherUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
F KollerUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
L SchmutzlerUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
T GottfriedUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
J SchmutzhardUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
B HofauerUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
D DejacoUniversitätsklinik Für Hals, Nasen- Und Ohrenheilkunde, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSensorineural hearing loss represents a rare but clinically relevant complication of acute otitis media (AOM). Although intratympanic glucocorticoid (GC) therapy is established in other cochleovestibular disorders, its efficacy in this context remains insufficiently investigated. The aim of this study was to retrospectively assess whether local intratympanic glucocorticoid application is associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with acute otitis media-related sensorineural hearing loss.

methodsA retrospective analysis was performed on patients diagnosed with AOM-associated inner ear involvement between January 2014 and November 2024. Patients were stratified according to GC treatment regimen: (1) intratympanic application of glucocorticoids (IC), (2) no intratympanic application of glucocorticoids (NIC). Subgroup analyses were performed according to the surgical drainage method and severity of inner ear involvement. Primary endpoint was improvement in bone-conduction pure-tone average (BCPTA4).

resultsA total of 137 patients were included (IC: 44, NIC: 93). Sex, affected side and subjective improvement did not differ significantly between both groups (all p > 0.08). Both groups demonstrated significant hearing improvement following treatment (p < 0.001). Although numerical trends favored the NIC group across different severity levels, no statistically significant differences in BCPTA4 improvement were observed between treatment modalities (p = 0.8); however, the non-randomized design and baseline group differences limit interpretation. In exploratory analyses, Ventilation Tube Insertion (VT) and CO₂-laser myringotomy (LP) were associated with significant hearing recovery (p < 0.001).

conclusionsBoth treatment regimens (IC, NIC) led to significant hearing improvement in AOM-associated inner ear involvement. In this non-randomized comparison, no statistically significant difference in BCPTA4 improvement was detected between groups; however, selection bias, baseline imbalances and residual confounding may have obscured small treatment effects. These findings do not constitute evidence of equivalence.

Indexed as

Acute otitis mediaBone conduction puretone averageCorticosteroid therapyInner ear involvementIntratympanic glucocorticoidsMiddle ear drainageRetrospective studySensorineural hearing lossSerous labyrinthitisVentilation tube insertion

Identifiers

PMID42900206

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.