A new paper, “Resolution of Pulsatile Tinnitus after Venous Sinus Stenting in Patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension,” shows that an innovative stenting procedure can alleviate the debilitating whooshing sounds experienced by patients with pulsatile tinnitus. The stenting procedure, designed to relieve the headaches and visual problems associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH, also called pseudotumor cerebri), was shown to alleviate the symptoms of pulsatile tinnitus as well.
The paper, published in the October 21, 2016 issue of the journal PLOS One, summarizes the study of 29 patients with IIH and venous sinus stenosis who were treated with venous sinus stenting. It was authored by Dr. Srikanth Boddu; Dr. Marc Dinkin; Dr. Maria Suurna; Kelly Hannsgen, NP; Xem Bui; and Dr. Athos Patsalides.
The severity of the patients’ tinnitus was graded from 1 (mild to none) to 5 (catastrophic) based on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). The 29 patients had a mean THI of 4 before the stenting, and 1 after, with a mean time to symptom resolution of 0 days. The same questionnaire was used for assessment before the stent procedure and then again at day 0, one month, three months, six months, 12 months, 18 months, and two years. Of the 29 patients, only three had recurrence of their stenosis, and symptoms, at the one-year mark.
The authors conclude that venous sinus stenting is an effective treatment for pulsatile tinnitus in patients with IIH and venous sinus stenosis.
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