Journal Reviews
To question or not to question
Misophonia is a complex condition in which individuals experience a strong negative emotional response to specific sounds, such as chewing, breathing, swallowing or foot tapping. These reactions are not primarily determined by the volume of the sound. Although relatively few...
For a better evaluation of neonatal hearing loss
The authors conducted a retrospective observational study on 112 neonates tested with auditory brainstem response (ABR) and auditory steady-state response (ASSR). The main aim was to compare hearing thresholds obtained by ASSR, ABR and behavioural audiometry at different frequencies and...
Platelet-rich plasma-cartilage tympanoplasty
This systematic review and meta-analysis of five studies (n=234 patients) reports the effectiveness of type I tympanoplasty with cartilage and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) compared with type I cartilage tympanoplasty alone for closure of dry tympanic membrane perforations. This is an...
Quicker than reading the BNF
It has long struck me that it might be helpful to search medication-induced side effects by symptom, rather than having to look up each individual drug. For many years, there have also been regularly cited categories of medications to be...
Association of eustachian tube dysfunction in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for sleep-disordered breathing
The need for this study arises from the fact that after undergoing adenotonsillectomy, some children continue to suffer from symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) which overlap with symptoms of eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), such as cognitive and behavioural impairment, resulting...
A dizzying response to the silent killer
In this recent case control report by Kandemir and colleagues, we are asked to consider the association between hypertensive disease and hearing impairment, tinnitus and dizziness. A 200-strong cohort of normotensive and newly-diagnosed hypertensive patients underwent pure tone audiometry, Tinnitus...
Does surgical complexity influence hearing preservation after perimodiolar cochlear implantation?
In this prospective study, 34 adults underwent perimodiolar cochlear implantation with an extended round window approach. Three investigators reviewed fluoroscopic, electrocochleography (ECochG) and video data recorded simultaneously during the surgeries. Surgical complexity was also recorded as straightforward or complex. Residual...
ADHEAR in the paediatric population
ADHEAR is a non-surgical bone conduction device (BCD) available from Med-El from 2017. It uses an adhesive adapter consisting of a soft rubber pad with a centre rigid plate that has a snap coupling for attachment of a sound processor....
Telehealth for cochlear implant follow-up care
For individuals with moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, cochlear implants are a highly effective form of hearing rehabilitation. Despite their effectiveness, utilisation is low, with approximately only 12.7% of suitable adult candidates receiving implants. Barriers to access include the geographic distribution...
Role of high-resolution CT scans in the management of cholesteatoma
This review article has looked at 15 publications, comparing features noted in high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans of patients having cholesteatoma with actual intraoperative findings. This comparison was used to assess sensitivity and specificity of various abnormalities picked up by HRCT...
Where is that sound? Not every hot tub is a jacuzzi
Evidence suggests that the incidence of sound sensitivity and general noise intolerance is increasing. Studies have suggested that the incidence of hyperacusis is between 8% and 15.2% of the adult population. There is a correlation between the prevalence of hyperacusis...
Why are we struggling to manage ear pain?
Ear pain can be consumptive. It gnaws like toothache, splits like a headache and can throw off one’s equilibrium. Despite this, we often treat the cause without treating the symptoms. Stoliar and colleagues compared how physicians assess and treat pain...
