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Effectiveness of transmeatal low power laser irradiation for chronic tinnitus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 July 2007

A Gungor*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Haydarpasa Military Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
S Dogru
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Haydarpasa Military Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
H Cincik
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Haydarpasa Military Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
E Erkul
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Haydarpasa Military Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
E Poyrazoglu
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Haydarpasa Military Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Salim Dogru, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Haydarpasa Training Hospital, 34668 Kadikoy-Istanbul, Turkey. Fax: (216) 366 4268 E-mail: salimdogru@yahoo.com

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate effectiveness of 5 mW laser irradiation in the treatment of chronic tinnitus.

Study design:

Prospective, randomised, double-blind study.

Methods:

This investigation included 66 ears in 45 patients with chronic unilateral or bilateral tinnitus. A 5 mW laser with a wavelength of 650 nm, or placebo laser, was applied transmeatally for 15 minutes, once daily for a week. A questionnaire was administered which asked patients to score their symptoms on a five-point scale, before and two weeks after laser irradiation. A decrease of one scale point, regarding the loudness, duration and degree of annoyance of tinnitus, was accepted to represent an improvement.

Results:

The loudness, duration and degree of annoyance of tinnitus were improved, respectively, in up to 48.8, 57.7 and 55.5 per cent of the patients in the active laser group. No significant improvement was observed in the placebo laser group.

Conclusion:

Transmeatal, low power (5 mW) laser irradiation was found to be useful for the treatment of chronic tinnitus.

Keywords

Type
Main Article
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2007

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