What Researchers Did
Researchers evaluated the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) on central macular thickness (CMT) and choroidal thickness (CT) in 42 healthy eyes of 21 patients.
What They Found
No significant differences were observed in central macular thickness (CMT) before HBOT (219.17 ± 22.91 µm) compared to after 10 or 20 sessions (220.33 ± 19.66 µm and 220.21 ± 19.3 µm, respectively). Similarly, subfoveal choroidal thickness (CT) remained unchanged, measuring 347.71 ± 66.82 µm before HBOT and 345.45 ± 75.39 µm after 20 sessions, with no significant changes in nasal or temporal CT.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sudden hearing loss can be reassured that this treatment is unlikely to significantly alter their central macular or choroidal thickness. This suggests that HBOT for ISSNHL does not appear to have a direct impact on these specific ocular structures.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study was conducted on a relatively small sample size of 21 patients, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.