Intratympanic gentamicin therapy for control of vertigo in unilateral Menire's disease: a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Selective vestibular ablation by intratympanic gentamicin in patients with unilateral active Ménière's disease: a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.
Intratympanic application of gentamicin is a relatively safe and efficient treatment for the reduction of complaints of vertigo attacks associated with Menière's disease. The treatment also reduces the severity of the perceived aural fullness.
                To investigate the effectiveness of intratympanic gentamicin treatment in patients with unilateral Menière's disease.
                In a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial subjects scored vertigo complaints, aural fullness and tinnitus, before, during and up to 1 year after treatment. Hearing loss was monitored with pure tone audiometry.
                Gentamicin treatment resulted in a significant reduction of the score for vertigo complaints and the score for perceived aural fullness. A small increase in hearing loss (average 8 dB) was measured in the gentamicin group. To establish the efficacy of intratympanic gentamicin treatment in patients with unilateral Ménière's disease.
                This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial of intratympanic gentamicin versus intratympanic buffer solution (placebo) in patients with established active Ménière's disease in the affected ear. Outcome measures included the number of vertiginous spells, degree of sensorineural hearing loss, labyrinthine function and labyrinthine asymmetry.
                Topical gentamicin provided a significant reduction in the number of vertiginous spells, although a "placebo effect" was also observed. Sensorineural hearing loss did not occur in the gentamicin group, although some deterioration occurred in the placebo group.
                Intratympanic gentamicin is a safe and efficient treatment for the vertiginous spells associated with Ménière's disease. When applied early in the course of the disease, it may prevent some of the sensorineural hearing deterioration associated with it.
Based on the results of the two included studies, intratympanic gentamicin seems to be an effective treatment for vertigo complaints in Ménière's disease, but carries a risk of hearing loss.