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

Various bone conduction hearing aids have been widely used to improve hearing fuction for the last 30 years. Sophono(R), a newly introduced device without percutaneous abutment, improved disadvantages of previously used bone conduction hearing aids. Recently, we experienced a case of Sophono(R) implantation in a patient presenting with mixed hearing loss followed by tumor surgery. The patient gained air conduction threshold of 60 dB HL compared to preoperative pure tone audiogram and a speech discrimination test in noisy environment showed improved results. Furthermore, the patient has had no cutaneous complications since implantation. The results of this case demonstrate the feasibility of implanting Sophono(R) in patients similar to this case. Considering its advantages of MRI compatibility and non-invasive surgery, as well as esthetical benefit, Sophono(R) implantation could be a preferable option for hearing rehabilitation.
Bone Conduction ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Unilateral* ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningioma* ; Rehabilitation* ; Speech Discrimination Tests

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

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

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

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

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate audiologic results and subjective satisfaction of bone anchored hearing aids (BAHA) patients. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Preoperative air-conduction and bone-conduction thresholds, postoperative aided thresholds were measured for 14 patients. To evaluate patient satisfaction, two questionnaires derived from single sided deafness (SSD) questionnaire and Bern Benefit in SSD questionnaire were used. RESULTS: The mean age of patients, consisting of 8 males and 6 females, was 40.0+/-5.9 year. Ten patients (71%) received implantations for conductive or mixed hearing loss and 4 (29%) for SSD. The mean follow-up period was 27.8+/-5.6 months. The mean preoperative bone-conduction threshold of conductive or mixed hearing loss group was 21.4 dB and the mean air-conduction threshold was 65.4 dB. The mean bone-conduction threshold of SSD group was 60.0 dB and the mean air-conduction threshold was 105.9 dB. The postoperative aided threshold was significantly improved in conductive or mixed hearing loss group (p=0.005). The patients in the conductive or mixed hearing loss group showed more satisfaction with BAHA than those in the SSD group did, but the degree of satisfaction was not statistically significant (p=0.08 for questionnaire 1, p=0.12 for questionnaire 2). Patients with better preoperative bone-conduction threshold and patients with better preoperative speech discrimination score showed more satisfaction with BAHA in the questionnaire 1 (p=0.045, p=0.036). CONCLUSION: BAHA can be considered effective and beneficial for patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss and SSD. Further studies will be needed to choose the appropriate indications for BAHA, especially in SSD group in Korea.
Bone Conduction ; Deafness ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hearing ; Hearing Aids ; Hearing Loss, Conductive ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Patient Satisfaction ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Silver Sulfadiazine ; Speech Perception ; Suture Anchors

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

It is challenging to achieve sufficient hearing gain in patients with mixed hearing loss. In chronic middle ear diseases, conventional passive reconstructive surgeries often result in suboptimal hearing gain and additional hearing aids may have limitations due to insufficient sound amplification, occlusion effect, acoustic feedback, and skin irritation. Middle ear implantation (MEI) using Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) is another option for auditory rehabilitation in mixed hearing loss as well as sensorineural hearing loss. The floating mass transducer of VSB can be placed on various middle ear structures either directly or using different types of couplers in order to deliver vibratory mechanical energy to the cochlea. We report a patient who presented with bilateral mixed hearing loss due to chronic otitis media and had limitations using conventional hearing aids in the worse hearing ear. The patient was successfully treated with MEI using the Bell coupler together with middle ear surgery in a single step.
Acoustics ; Cochlea ; Ear ; Ear, Middle* ; Hearing ; Hearing Aids ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Humans ; Ossicular Prosthesis* ; Otitis Media ; Rehabilitation ; Skin ; Transducers

OBJECTIVES: New signal processing technologies have recently become available for Baha(R) sound processors. These technologies have led to an increase in power and to the implementation of directional microphones. For any new technology, it is important to evaluate the degree of benefit under different listening situations. METHODS: Twenty wearers of the Baha osseointegrated hearing system participated in the investigation. The control sound processor was the Baha Intenso and the test sound processor was the Cochlear(TM) Baha(R) BP110power. Performance was evaluated in terms of free-field audibility with narrow band noise stimuli. Speech recognition of monosyllabic phonetically balanced (PB) words in quiet was performed at three intensity settings (50, 65, and 80 dB sound pressure level [SPL]) with materials presented at 0 degrees azimuth. Speech recognition of sentences in noise using the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) in an adaptive framework was performed with speech from 0 degrees and noise held constant at 65 dB SPL from 180 degrees. Testing was performed in both the omni and directional microphone settings. Loudness growth was assessed in randomly presented 10 dB steps between 30 and 90 dB SPL to narrow band noise stimuli at 500 Hz and 3,000 Hz. RESULTS: The test sound processor had significantly improved high frequency audibility (3,000-8,000 Hz). Speech recognition of PB words in quiet at three different intensity levels (50, 65, and 80 dB SPL) indicated a significant difference in terms of level (P<0.0001) but not for sound processor type (P>0.05). Speech recognition of sentences in noise demonstrated a 2.5 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement in performance for the test sound processor. The directional microphone provided an additional 2.3 dB SNR improvement in speech recognition (P<0.0001). Loudness growth functions demonstrated similar performance, indicating that both sound processors had sufficient headroom and amplification for the required hearing loss. CONCLUSION: The test sound processor demonstrated significant improvements in the most challenging listening situation (speech recognition in noise). The implementation of a directional microphone demonstrated a further potential improvement in hearing performance. Both the control and test sound processors demonstrated good performance in terms of audibility, word recognition in quiet and loudness growth.
Bone Conduction ; Hearing ; Hearing Aids ; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural ; Humans ; Noise ; Osseointegration ; Sensory Aids ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio