Efficacy of Acetylcysteine in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Otosclerosis
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2013-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
In otosclerosis, one of the tiny bones of the middle ear is unable to move normally. Sounds
cannot be transferred to the inner ear and a conductive hearing loss ensues. The disorder is
usually treated by an operation where the bone is replaced by a prosthesis. This restores
hearing at low sound frequencies. At high frequencies, surgery is less effective. The smaller
effect at high frequencies is probably caused by surgically induced inner ear damage.
Animal studies have shown that the drug acetylcysteine can protect the inner ear against
damage. It is not known whether the drug has similar effects in humans. This study will
assess the efficacy of acetylcysteine in patients undergoing surgery for otosclerosis.