Objective To investigate the correlation between the level of serum cortisol and alexithymia in depressive patients with somatic symptoms.Methods The morning level of serum cortisol was measured with radioimmunoassay in 30 depressive patients with somatic symptoms (somatization group) and 30 depressive patients without somatic symptoms (non-somatization group).The severity of alexithymia was evaluated with Toronto alexithymia Scale(TAS-20).Results (1) The level of serum cortisol in somatization group was significantly higher than that in non-somatization group((533.88±144.10) μmol/L vs (458.27±82.87) μmol/L,P＜0.01).(2) The total TAS score and the factor score of Difficulty in identifying feelings and Difficulty in describing feelings in somatization group were obviously higher than those in non-somatization group,respectively ((67.13 ± 6.96) vs (62.03±7.14),(24.50±3.78) vs (21.63±3.63),(15.30±2.69) vs (13.57±2.03),all P＜0.01).(3) The level of serum cortisol in somatization group was positively correlated with the total score of alexithymia (r=0.596,P＜0.01) and the factor score of Difficulty in identifying feelings, Difficulty in describing feelings, externally oriented thinking,respectively (r=0.391,0.435,0.452,all P＜0.05).(4) The level of serum cortisol in non-somatization group was positively related to the total TAS score (r=0.418,P＜0.05) and the factor score of externally oriented thinking(r=0.489,P＜0.01).Conclusions Compared with depressive patients without somatic symptoms,depressive patients with somatic symptoms had more severe alexithymia,especially in Difficulty in identifying feelings and Difficulty in describing feelings.The severity of alexithymia was positively correlated with the level of serum cortisol.

Objective To study the rehabilitation effects of the cochlear implants on prelingually deaf children with alba abnormality.Methods A retrospective analysis of the effects of CIs was conducted in the prelingually deaf children of 11 cases of the children with abnormal alba(the research group) and 18 cases of the children who had normal alba(the control group) at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian medical university.All the operations were completed by the same doctor.There were no obvious complications during and after the operation.The cochlear implants were turned on after one month and the prelingually deaf children with extremely severe bilateral sensorineural deafness were trained for speech at the rehabilitation centre.The assessment criteria of the categories of auditory performance(CAP) and speech intelligibility rate(SIR) were used.After six months and twelve months of the operation, the family members were followed who have direct contacts with the children.The evaluation of data between the research and the control groups was administered.Results In the research group, the average level of CAP after six months'' post-operation was 2.41±0.47.But in the control group, the average level was 3.28±0.45.In the research group, the average level of SIR after six months'' post-operation was 1.27±0.44.There were 3 children in the research group at level 2, but in the control group, the average level was 1.89±0.31.Two children in the control group were level 1 while the others were level 2.In the research group, the average level of CAP after twelve months'' post-operation was 4.00±0.43 while only one child at level 3.There was one child at level 5 in the research group, the rest were level 4.There was a statistically significant difference in the average level of the CAP after six months'' post-operation(t=4.983, P<0.05) and in the average level of the SIR after six months'' post-operation(t=4.371, P<0.05).There was no statistical difference in the average level of the CAP after twelve months'' post-operation(t=1.033, P>0.05) and in the average level of the SIR after twelve months'' post-operation(t=0.434, P>0.05).Conclusion There is no significant difference of the rehabilitation effects of post-operation between the prelingually deaf children with alba abnormality and those with normal alba.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate imaging and audiology features of temporal bone and analyze the classification and prevalence of inner ear abnormalities in children with sensorineural hearing loss. METHOD: Children who were diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss were examined by high resolution CT and the inner ear fluid of MRI. And each chart was retrospectively reviewed to determine the imaging and audiology features. RESULT: There were 125 patients(232 ears) found with inner ear malformation in 590 children with SNHL. About 21.71% of the inner ear malformation occurred in severe and profound hearing loss ears, and 12.85% occurred in r moderate hearing loss ears. The inner ear malformation rate in normal hearing ears were 13.59%. CONCLUSION CT and MRI examinations of temporal bone are important diagnostic tools to indentify inner ear malformations. Inner ear malformations are almost bilateral and hearing loss are profoud. Cochleo-vestibular malformations and large vestibular aqueduct are the 2 most frequent deformities. Among the children with SNHL, deformity rate in the severe and profound hearing loss ears is higher than that in moderate hearing loss ear. Inner ear malformations can exist in people with normal hearing.
Audiology ; Child ; Ear, Inner ; abnormalities ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; congenital ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Temporal Bone ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vestibular Aqueduct ; abnormalities

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the treatment and diagnosis of early tympanic isthmus obstruction and dysfunction of eustachian tube. METHOD: Three hundred patients (338ears) suffering from early tympanic isthmus obstruction were examinated and observed from 1991 to 2004, and were injected triamcinolone into tympanic cavity at the position of hypokinesis or blockaded the external acoustic meatus according to different state of the illness. RESULT: Two hundred and sixty of three hundred case were cured, thirty cases were improved, ten cases were inefficacy. CONCLUSION Tympanic isthmus obstruction is a pathognostic type of secretory otitis media. There is significant difference between tympanic isthmus obstruction and secretory otitis media caused by dysfunction of eustachian tube. Prolonged tympanic isthmus obstruction is a reason of primary cholesteatoma of epitympanum's pathogeny. It is important to diagnose and treat of the tympanic isthmus obstruction early.
Acoustic Impedance Tests ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Child ; Ear, Middle ; pathology ; Early Diagnosis ; Eustachian Tube ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Otitis Media ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Young Adult