ASN » Hearing loss

Hygroma. Report, a Case

julia — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:31:22 +0000

Cystic hygroma was first described in 1828 and referred to as a “moist tumor.Today, this benign developmental tumor is recognized as a lymphatic malformation (also known as a lymphangioma).Cystic hygroma is a benign lymphatic malformation representing 5% to 6% of all benign tumors and 1% of all tumors (benign and malignant). Most (90%) cystic hygromas will manifest by age two, although there are reported cases in the literature of cystic hygroma presenting in adults.Cystic hygromas are among the most common congenital neck masses. The symptoms initial can be asymptomatic, painless lesion unless infected or bleeding progression: Continues to increases in size, 90% symptomatic by age 2 years. They have a predilection for the left posterior triangle and manifest early in life. Although various locations of cystic hygromas are found in the literature, distribution: Neck (60%), other locations : Chest Wall, Mediastinum, Axilla; Rare locations: Inguinal región and retroperitoneal region.. Pathophysiology the Congenital lymphatic malformation can be a Lymphatic vessel fails to connect and drain. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice, but injection of a sclerosing agent into the cyst is an alternative procedure Pregnancies complicated by fetal cystic hygroma in the second and third trimesters are often associated with hydrops fetalis, oligohydramnios or intrauterine fetal death which may make genetic assessment more difficult. The results in large multiloculated cyst sometimes are associated conditions: Turner’s Syndrome, Noonan’s Syndrome, Down Syndrome.1-4
The diagnosis must be early, a Hygroma is key to preventing its serious consequences. Unfortunately, early detection of this is sometimes difficult, because the symptoms may be subtle and may not appear in the beginning stages of growth. Also, headache, hearing loss, dizziness, and tinnitus are symptoms of any inner ear problems. Therefore, once the symptoms appear, a thorough ear examination and hearing test are essential the study the vestibular function through of vestibuloespinal, retinoocular, vestibuloocular systems in the Cranio-Corpo-Graphy (CCG), the Test of Balance(TOB) and the Computarized Electronystagmography (CNG). in order to determine and orientate a better vestibular diagnosis.Computerized Tomography(CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are helpful in determining the location and size of a hygroma and also in planning its removal.Hygroma Report a case

The effect of music therapy on the early diagnosis of sensoneural hearing loss baby; pilot study of total care

admin — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this study is to present the results of a pilot study of early detection of sensoneural hearing loss and early intervention to use music therapy, in order to demonstrate the applications of music therapy, and to measure systematically some of its effects on babies.
Subjects for this study were 40 babies (22 female and 18 male) and their family. Babies’ age range was under one year old. Music therapist gave 45 minuets music therapy session for once a month, each subject had total of 8 times. The results of this study showed that 40 out of 11 babies (27.5%) had more than 20dB differences in their ABR examinations. Videotape analysis showed that baby and family communication became better during music therapy sessions.
This pilot study provides an importance of early detection and early intervention, explains the role of music therapy, establishes early intervention tool as a use of music therapy, and to improve the baby and their family’s life who are diagnoses as a sensoneural hearing loss.

Sound intensity and audiometric findings in the odontologic practice

admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0000

The goal of this assay is to establish if sound intensity is too high in the practice of odontology and if a group of dentists know and protect themselves from noise induced hearing loss.
Method: 23 dentists, 25 to 50 years-old, who work five days a week, six to ten hours a day, were submitted to an interview, pure tone audiometry, speech tests and imitanciometry. Noise intensity was measured in their offices during the use of high and low rotation drill. Results: Noise intensity in the office varied from 74,2 dB to 92,2dB during the use of drills. 13 dentists were aware of noise induced hearing loss, but only one protected himself. Seven out of 23 dentists had hearing loss and six had a 25dB threshold in higher frequencies. Conclusion: Noise intensity in the practice of odontology is higher than the limit tolerated by the inner ear. Protection is necessary, but was not used by the studied group. It is possible that present shifts in audiometric thresholds and sensorineural hearing losses were induced by noise.

Depressive disorders in relation to neurootological complaints like vertigo, dizziness, hearingloss and tinnitus

admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Depression is a mental state of depressed mood characterised by feelings of sadness, despair, and discouragement. Depression ranges from normal feelings of “the blues” through dysthymia to major depression. It in many ways resembles the grief and mourning that follow bereavement. There are often feelings of low self-esteem, guilt, and somatic symptoms such as eating and sleep disturbances.
Endogenous depression defines any depression that is not a reactive depression. The term implies that some intrinsic biological process rather than environmental influences is the cause. Endogenous depression has been identified with a specific symptom complex – psychomotor retardation, early morning awakening, weight loss, excessive guilt, and lack of reactivity to the environment – that is roughly equivalent to major depression or major depression with melancholia, although there is not much correlation between this symptom complex and the presence or absence of precipitating life events. Reactive depression means a depression that is precipitated by stressful life event.
In the field of depression an overlapping medical activity between psychiatry and neurootology nowadays is to be seen.
Our sample comprises 134 cases (39,55% males, 60,45% females), who were either classified by psychiatrists or neurologists to suffer from depression.
Evaluating our history NODEC in the chapter of the 6 principle vertigo symptoms a frequency of 2,10 signs per patient were found. When extending the list to 11 vertigo and nausea signs together 2,93 signs per case were exhibited.
All the patients underwent an objective and quantitative neurootometric analysis. The following rates of abnormal findings were observed: butterfly calorigram of polygraphic ENG 69,40%, stepping-CCGs 69,40%, bone conductional pure tone audiometry of the right 28,36% and of the left ear 36,57%.

Appearance and characteristics of tinnitus in childhood

admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0000

The appearance of tinnitus has risen clearly also in children within the last decades. 1550 children were questioned as to whether they have tinnitus. A total of 131 children said at the interview that tinnitus had appeared or was still present.
The most frequent information was the progression of an existing hardness of hearing followed by children suffered of Meningitis. Other causes were problems with central sensory perception, psychological factors, middle ear pathology, head trauma, acoustic trauma, and stapes surgery. The mechanisms of development of tinnitus are, however, not so clear in a large proportion of the children. Wheezing, beeping, ringing, clicks and murmur are the most frequent sensations characterized by the children questioned.
The diagnostics to clarify tinnitus in children should exclude middle ear processes, metabolic disturbances, possible damage to the sensory level of the CNS, and the circulation, and one should always also consider emotional problems and disturbances of perception.
Children with tinnitus of various causes are demonstrated in a case report.

The use of “rt-pa” for the treatment of sudden and “chronic hearing loss”

admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Eighty patients with sudden hearing loss and seventy patients with a chronical cochlear function decreasing have been treated until now with intravenous infusion of a recombinant glycoprotein analogous tissutal plasminogen activator (rt-PA): 3mg dissolved in 250mg of physiological saline given every 12 hr intravenously.
Specifically excluded were patients with abnormal known coagulation.
No patient was treated longer than 20 days.
At the first observation a medical history and physical examination, a series of hearing tests including audiometry and otoacustic emission (OAE), routine blood examination and a blood clotting factor analysis were performed. During the treatment patients were monitored by hearing tests, OAE, auditory brainstem response, computer tomography and -nuclear magnetic resonance, when necessary. Patients were discharged when their audibility threshold stabilized.
No patient had side effects due to the treatment and the functional results are excellent at all, much more if compared with the protocols of therapy previously used for those kind of diseases.
Tissue plasminogen activator was used for the treatment of sudden hearing loss with remarkable success: this study also shows remarkable success with a very low dose of tPA, compared to the standard dosage used far the treatment of myocardial infarction patients.

Hearing disorders in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (hcm)

admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0000

In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) coexisting sensorineural hearing disorders are present frequently. These disorders can be either cochlear or retrocochlear in origin. Our aim was to study the hearing function in patients with HCM and to compare this group with age matched controls .
Our audiological investigations were performed in 44 patients with HCM. Age matched groups of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (n=29) and volunteers with negative cardiac history (n=30) served as controls. Primary standard audiological examinations were carried out in all cases to exclude noise induced sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. The hearing function was evaluated by distorsion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP).
Complete evaluation of hearing function was possible in 63 ears of the 44 patients with HCM, and in 39 ears of the 29 patients with DCM. Comparing the parameters (latencies, amplitudes) of BAEP waves there was no significant difference between the two patient groups. On the other hand the intensity of DPOAE was significantly smaller in HCM than in DCM. Cochlear lesions are more frequent in patients with HCM than patients with DCM. These findings arise the hypothesis, that abnormal myosin might also be present in the muscular structures of the internal ear in HCM wich can be responsible for the hearing disorders of these patients.

Comparison of hydroxyethyl starch and dextran in the treatment of sudden deafness of vascular origin

admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Objective/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of hydroxyethyl starch (HES 200) in the treatment of sudden deafness of vascular origin, and compare it with that of dextran 40.
Study Design: Prospective study
Methods: Ten patients with sudden deafness of vascular origin undergoing HES 200 therapy with the treatment program as HES 500 mL once daily for day 1, then 500 mL twice daily for days 2-4. Another 10 patients with age-, sex-, and mean hearing level-matched treated by dextran were selected for comparison. The treatment program of dextran was similar to that of HES. Then, outcome of hearing loss between two groups was compared.
Results: In HES group, outcome of the hearing loss consisted of cured in 4 patients, marked recovery in 3, slight recovery in 2, and unchanged in 1. Restated, the occurrence of hearing recovery was 90%. In contrast to the dextran group, cured in 3 patients, marked recovery in 3, slight recovery in 2, and unchanged in 2, that is 80% occurrence of hearing recovery, exhibiting a non-significant difference between two groups. The HES group has mean hearing gain as 36.9 + 12.7 dB, and mean percent recovery 74.5 + 25.4%, compared to 36.3 + 20.2 dB, and 61.2 + 28.8% in dextran group, respectively, both groups did not differ significantly.
Conclusions: We recommend using 10% HES 200 with a total dosage of 3.5L within 4 days in the treatment of sudden deafness of vascular origin, and recovery of hearing without complication can be anticipated.

Investigation of betaserc in patients with auditory and vestibular disturbances

admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0000

The AIM of this investigation is to evaluate the effect of Betaserc – 16 and 8 mg on the patients (workers in the system of transport), with vascular auditory and vestibular disturbances.

Dizziness, hearing loss, tinnitus and nausea in otosclerosis

admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Neurotologic patients may present with a variety of chief complaints. It is not unusual to present with primary presenting symptoms of dizziness, hearing loss and tinnitus. Unusual in presentation is nausea without dizziness. A common finding as the fundamental etiology in many patients is the eventual diagnosis of otosclerosis …….