1: Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2004 Oct;37(5):991-1000.

Intratympanic perfusion for the treatment of tinnitus.

Dodson KM, Sismanis A.

Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth
University Medical Center, 1201 East Marshall Street, Suite 402 Richmond, VA
23298, USA.

Intratympanic treatment of tinnitus with corticosteroids or gentamicin
should be considered as an option of treatment in selected tinnitus
patients, alone or in combination with standard modalities of management
such as tinnitus retraining therapy, masking, and hearing aid amplification.
Review of the literature and the authors' experience suggest the following
points regarding intratympanic treatment for tinnitus: 1. Lidocaine,
although effective in decreasing tinnitus, has been largely abandoned
because of its severe side-effect profile and need for inpatient
administration. 2. Corticosteroids have been associated with few if any side
effects. 3. The good results reported in the literature with intratympanic
steroids for treating tinnitus of various causes should be viewed with
caution,because most are retrospective and uncontrolled studies. 4. Some
Meniere's disease patients with tinnitus may experience tinnitus improvement
following intratympanic steroids. This treatment may be considered in such
patients, especially for those with good hearing. 5. Gentamicin is effective
in eliminating or reducing tinnitus in a significant number of patients with
Meniere's disease and may be considered especially for those with
nonserviceable hearing. 6. Further prospective, randomized, and controlled
studies to evaluate the effect of intratympanic perfusion for the treatment
of tinnitus are warranted.