BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Conductive hearing loss is common among children and adults. This study aims at comparing the results of conductive hearing loss in summer and autumn. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Puretone audiometry and tympanometry tests were done for all patients who referred to the Iranian-based audiology center of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz. Data on the patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss were analyzed. The impacts of season, age, and etiology of the disease were analyzed on the patients who visited the audiology clinic due to the conductive hearing loss in summer and autumn. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty nine patients in summer and 123 patients in autumn had conductive or mixed hearing loss. Their age ranged from four to 82 years, with the average age of 35. The percentage of the patients, with acute otitis media and chronic otitis media (COM), who visited this clinic, was significantly higher than those with middle ear problems. COM and mastoid surgeries rate was higher in summer than autumn among adults. CONCLUSIONS: There is no relationship between season and middle ear diseases between children and juveniles, but COM and mastoid problems are more common in summer among adults visiting this clinic. Most of the patients had mild conductive hearing loss and bilateral middle ear impairments.
Acoustic Impedance Tests ; Adult ; Audiology ; Audiometry ; Child ; Ear ; Ear, Middle ; Hearing Disorders ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Conductive ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural* ; Humans ; Mastoid ; Otitis Media ; Seasons

OBJECTIVES: The problem of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) was objectively and systematically investigated by diagnosing three workers who complained of tinnitus and hearing disturbance. METHODS: Atypical hearing loss is diagnosed as a work-related disease by using general medical methods, such as environmental survey, neurological examination, otoscopy, pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, otoacoustic emissions (OAE), auditory-evoked potentials, and interview on the history of past disease, family and occupation. RESULTS: Three results were found according to the work-related hearing loss as follows; (1) hearing loss that is caused by exposure to continuous noise of less than 85 dB(A) or impact noise of greater than 135 dB peak, (2) mixed hearing loss that has progressed due to noise with past otitis media, and (3) atypical hearing loss that showed remarkable differences between air and bone conduction due to tinnitus. CONCLUSIONS: The criteria for work-related hearing loss should be carefully investigated by considering exposure to impact noise, the effect of continuous noise on mixed hearing loss patients, and the hearing loss caused by tinnitus.
Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Audiometry, Speech ; Bone Conduction ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced* ; Humans ; Neurologic Examination ; Noise ; Occupations ; Otitis Media ; Otoscopy ; Tinnitus

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current situation of early diagnosis and intervention in 0-9 months old infants with hearing loss and analysis factors that will affect early diagnosis and intervention. METHOD: One hundred and eighty-six infants referred to the West China hospital from February 2014 to September 2014 were included. All 186 children were referred due to the fact that either they failed infant hearing screening or outer ear malformation. Early diagnosis and/or intervention were performed on those 186 children and their records of early diagnosis and intervention were analyzed. RESULT: Among the 186 infants, 167 (89.8%) were diagnosed with an average age at (4.0 ± 1.4) months. Among the 167 infants with final diagnosis, there were 31 (18.6%) infants diagnosed as conductive hearing loss (CHL), and 99 cases (59.3%) diagnosed as sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), among whom, there were 75 (44.9%) bilateral SNHL and 24 (14.4%) unilateral SNHL. There were 2 cases (1.20%) with SNHL on one side and atresia on the other side. 5 (2.99%) of all conductive hearing loss cases with unilateral atresia and 2 cases with auditory neuropathy (AN) were found. 33 infants (19.8%) were found to have normal hearing. 30.7% (23/75) infants diagnosed as bilateral SNHL and 8.3% (2/24) infants diagnosed as unilateral SNHL were fitted with hearing aids. The fitting rate in infants with bilateral SNHL with mild, moderate, severe to profound degrees were 0 (0/23), 24.0% (6/25), 66.7% (6/9), 61.1% (11/18) respectively. The average intervention age was (5.0 ± 2.1) months. CONCLUSION Although the early diagnosis and intervention situation in this study are very close to international standard, there are still infants without final diagnosis and infants with hearing loss without hearing aid fitting. Further studies and efforts to promote early diagnosis and intervention in infants with hearing loss are needed.
China ; Deafness ; Early Diagnosis ; Hearing Aids ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; Hearing Loss, Central ; Hearing Loss, Conductive ; diagnosis ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; diagnosis ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn

IgG4-related systemic disease, including autoimmune pancreatitis, is a multi-organ disorder characterized by elevated serum immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) concentration and IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration. We report a case of a 66-year-old woman with IgG4-related hearing disorder, presenting with fluctuating mixed hearing loss with middle ear effusion. The serum IgG4 level was elevated and pathological examination revealed dense infiltration of IgG4-positive lymphocyte in the renal parenchyma, lung tissue and lacrimal gland. With intravenous methylprednisolone at a dose of 60 mg daily, improvement of hearing loss were observed. No recurrence was observed for 6 months with mainternance of prednisolone and methotrexate.
Aged ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Female ; Hearing Disorders ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Lung ; Lymphocytes ; Methotrexate ; Methylprednisolone ; Otitis Media with Effusion ; Pancreatitis ; Plasma Cells ; Prednisolone ; Recurrence

IgG4-related systemic disease, including autoimmune pancreatitis, is a multi-organ disorder characterized by elevated serum immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) concentration and IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration. We report a case of a 66-year-old woman with IgG4-related hearing disorder, presenting with fluctuating mixed hearing loss with middle ear effusion. The serum IgG4 level was elevated and pathological examination revealed dense infiltration of IgG4-positive lymphocyte in the renal parenchyma, lung tissue and lacrimal gland. With intravenous methylprednisolone at a dose of 60 mg daily, improvement of hearing loss were observed. No recurrence was observed for 6 months with mainternance of prednisolone and methotrexate.
Aged ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Female ; Hearing Disorders ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Lung ; Lymphocytes ; Methotrexate ; Methylprednisolone ; Otitis Media with Effusion ; Pancreatitis ; Plasma Cells ; Prednisolone ; Recurrence

The syndrome with knuckle pads, leukonychia, deafness and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis have been presented by several previous reports since the Bart and Pumphrey's report. This syndrome is that inheritance pattern is autosomal dominant trait. We report a case of a family with hereditary progressive palmoplantar hyperkeratosis, which is invariably associated with knuckle pads and a progressive mixed hearing loss. We think that these traits may not be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait because affected members of the family are all female but may be possibly autosomal dominant. The difference with other previous reports is that all members of the family don't have leukonychia. Therefore, we suggest that this is another variant case of this syndrome.
Deafness* ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Humans ; Inheritance Patterns

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the clinical characteristics of hearing impairment in patients who suffered a blunt head trauma without any organic problems, including temporal bone fracture or intracranial hemorrhage. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: This retrospective study examined 42 patients presenting with hearing impairment after blunt head trauma within five recent years. This study included only patients without temporal bone fracture or intracranial hemorrhage. RESULTS: Most patients (90.5%) complained of associated auditory symptoms including tinnitus, dizziness, earfullness and otalgia as well as headache. In 38 patients (90.5%), the symptom was developed on the injured day. Fifteen ears of 13 patients showed sensorineural hearing loss, 2 ears of 2 patients conductive hearing loss, and 10 ears of 8 patients mixed hearing loss. Twenty-four ears of 22 patients showed sensorineural hearing loss only above 4 kHz, 8 ears of 7 patients mild hearing loss, 10 ears of 8 patients moderate hearing loss, 3 ears of 3 patients had a moderately-severe hearing loss, and 6 ears of 6 patients had a profound hearing loss. All cases (24 ears of 22 patients) who had a normal four-tone average complained many otologic symptoms other than a hearing loss. CONCLUSION: Blunt head injury is one of the most common causes of the neurologic disorders. It is important to perform thorough assessment of auditory symptoms as soon as possible. Otologic consultation should be sought in all cases for appropriate management.
Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Dizziness ; Ear ; Earache ; Head Injuries, Closed ; Head* ; Headache ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing Loss, Conductive ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Nervous System Diseases ; Post-Concussion Syndrome ; Retrospective Studies ; Temporal Bone ; Tinnitus

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Glomus tumor in the temporal bone arises from the paraganglia along the Jacobson's nerve. It has been proved to be the most common primary neoplasm of the middle ear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics and the outcome of treatment among the patients with glomus tumor in the temporal bone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Dec. 1995 to Dec. 1998, six patients with glomus tumor underwent surgical removal at Asan Medical Center. The medical records were retrospectively reviewed with regard to sex, age, signs and symptoms, audiometric and radiologic evaluation, treatment modalities, and complications. RESULTS: This study group consists of 1 man and 5 women. Their ages ranged from 34 to 70, an average of 51.9 years old. Pulsatile tinnitus was the most common symptom. Five of 6 patients were positive for Brown's sign. The patients showed conductive hearing loss or mixed hearing loss with a mean air-bone gap of 29.2dB. The main feeding vessels for the glomus tumor were the ascending pharyngeal artery (67%), and the middle meningeal artery (33%). The treatment modalities were 1 transcanal approach, 4 posterior tympanotomy, and 1 subtotal petrosectomy. The postoperative complications consist of 1 case of wound infection, 1 case of facial palsy, and 2 cases of deafness. There was no recurrence. CONCLUSION: Glomus tumor has to be considered to differentiate the etiology of middle ear mass with pulsatile tinnitus. After embolization for feeding vessels, we could achieve complete removal of mass without severe bleeding.
Arteries ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Deafness ; Ear, Middle ; Facial Paralysis ; Female ; Glomus Tumor* ; Hearing Loss, Conductive ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Meningeal Arteries ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Temporal Bone ; Tinnitus ; Wound Infection

Middle ear implantation is an effective treatment for sensorineural, conductive and mixed hearing loss. The active middle ear implant's floating mass transducer (FMT) is placed on the middle ear structure or coupled to the inner ear fluid. Since the device is not directly placed on the external auditory canal, patients are free from feedback phenomenon and occlusion effect resulting from hearing aids. A 66-year-old patient suffered from bilateral hearing loss. The patient had difficulties in adapting to a conventional hearing aid because of feedback phenomenon in the right ear. The patient underwent a middle ear implantation using a CliP-Coupler to connect stapes head and FMT in the left ear. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported in Korea on middle ear implantation with CliP-Coupler at the stapes, for which hearing results were successful at postoperative 7 months.
Aged ; Ear ; Ear Canal ; Ear, Inner ; Ear, Middle ; Head ; Hearing ; Hearing Aids ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Humans ; Korea ; Ossicular Prosthesis* ; Stapes* ; Transducers

A 57-year-old man complained of sudden hearing loss and vertigo as sole initial symptoms. Pure tone audiometry revealed severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Brain MRI demonstrated multiple scattered small acute infarctions in the bilateral thalami, occipital lobe, cerebellum and ventral upper pons, however, none in the level of vestibulocochlear nuclei. Cerebral angiography revealed vertebrobasilar occlusion with collateral circulation. On the seventh day of the patient's hospital stay, he developed dysarthria, dysphagia and ataxia. Five months later, his hearing loss persisted, but other neurologic deficits improved substantially.
Ataxia ; Audiometry ; Brain ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Angiography ; Collateral Circulation ; Deafness ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dysarthria ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; Humans ; Infarction ; Length of Stay ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Occipital Lobe ; Pons ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency ; Vertigo*