Effect of steroids on increased permeability of blood vessels of the stria vascularis after auditory ossicle vibration by a drill in otologic surgery

OBJECTIVES: The vibration caused by drills used for middle ear surgery is considered one of the causes of postoperative sensorineural deafness. Seki et al reported that when drill-induced damage was created in the auditory ossicles of guinea pigs, permeability across the capillary vessels in the stria vascularis increased significantly with the duration of drill-induced vibration. The present study was undertaken to examine changes in permeability across the stria vascularis capillaries following vibration in experimental animals pretreated with steroids, with the goal of developing a method of preventing a vibration-induced increase in permeability across these capillaries. METHODS: After an intravenous dose of hydrocortisone and horseradish peroxidase, the auditory ossicles of guinea pigs were vibrated with a drill for 60 seconds. RESULTS: Intravenous steroid administration before vibration reduced the leakage of horseradish peroxidase from the stria vascularis capillaries after vibration. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggested that steroids suppress the increase in permeability across the stria vascularis capillaries that results from drill-induced vibration.