AZATHIOPRINE IN COMBINATION WITH STEROIDS IN THE TREATMENT OF AUTOIMMUNE INNER-EAR DISEASE

A total of twelve patients with a relatively uncommon form of progress ive sensorineural deafness (autoimmune inner-ear disease) were treated orally with 1 mg/kg azathioprine, once daily, and with 30 mg predniso lone, every other day, for 4 weeks. Statistically significant increase s in the ability to hear pure tones or in discrimination on audiometry took place in 10/12 patients. This condition was initially described as 'sensorineural hearing loss', but it is now clear that the term 'au toimmune inner-ear disease' is more appropriate since the vestibular c ompartment as well as the cochlear compartment is involved. This relat ively uncommon disease is one of the few forms of sensorineural deafne ss that can be successfully treated,