OBJECTIVE:To compare hearing results in Idiopathic sudden sensori neural hearing loss patients treated with systemic steroids alone or combined intra tympanic and systemic steroids.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective

SETTING:Government Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital,Dharmapuri.

PATIENTS: In this study,50 elegible patients with ISSNHL were allocated into 2 groups.Patients in the control group were treated with systemic prednisolone alone.Patients of the combined group received additionally 3 intra tympanic dexamethasone injection within 5 days.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures used were the differences between pretreatment and post treatment pure tone audiometry(PTA) averages.The assessment of hearing was performed on 5^th’,10^th’and 15^th’ days of treatment.

RESULTS: Significant hearing recovery was observed in 20(80%) of 25 combined treatment cases and in 16(64%) of 25 control patients.

CONCLUSION: The addition of intra tympanic steroids to the conventional systemic steroid therapy may provide a safe and potentially effective therapeutic option in patients with mild to severe ISSNHL.