Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is an otolaryngologic emergency. The condition is usually defined as a sudden deafness of 30 dB or more in at least 3 contiguous frequencies that occurs in less than 3 days.1 Pathologic causes need to be excluded. The origin is still unclear, but the main theories point to vascular or (viral) infectious diseases.
According to the Cochrane Library and the American Academy of Otolaryngology guidelines,2 the effectiveness and applicability of the most used medical therapies (ie, oral and intratympanic steroid monotherapy or corticosteroids in combination with hyperbaric oxygen) are still surrounded with doubt as to what constitutes the preferable treatment option.