The role of serum salusin alpha and beta levels and atherosclerotic risk factors in idiopathic sudden hearing loss pathogenesis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of atherosclerosis in the pathogenesis of sudden hearing loss by evaluating the newly discovered markers, serum salusin-α and salusin-ß. We also aimed to evaluate atherosclerosis risk factors, such as lipid profile, smoking, body mass index, waist circumference and mean blood pressure of the patients. METHODS: Fifty-two patients diagnosed with sudden hearing loss (study group) and fifty healthy people (control group) were included in the study. Detailed history was taken from the patients and risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, lipid profile, mean blood pressure and serum salusin-α and salusin-ß levels, were evaluated. The study group was divided into recovery group (subgroup I) and non-recovery group (subgroup II). RESULTS: The salusin-ß median value was found to be significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The salusin-ß median value was found to be significantly higher in subgroup 2 and was found to be a poor prognostic factor (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: From the results obtained in this study, it is thought that salusin-ß peptide is increased in patients with sudden hearing loss and it can be evaluated as a poor prognostic factor.

The Short-Term Effect of Eugenol on the Prevention of Experimentally Induced Myringosclerosis in a Rat Model.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to assess the possible short-term effects of topical and oral eugenol on the suppression of experimentally developed myringosclerosis (MS). METHODS: Four groups of seven male Wistar albino rats were used in the study. The tympanic membranes (TMs) of all subjects were myringotomized, and group 1 was given no treatment (as control group), group 2 received saline, group 3 had received topical eugenol and group 4 received oral eugenol. RESULTS: In macroscopic evaluation the control and saline groups showed much more MS compared to the topical and oral eugenol groups which had statistically significantly less changes (p<0.05). Fibrosis and inflammation regarding the lamina propria (LP) of the eardrums of the topical and oral eugenol groups were significantly less than those of the control and saline groups (p<0.001). In microscopic evaluation, TMs were found to be thicker in the control and saline groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the application of topical and oral forms of eugenol reduced fibrosis and prevented the advancement of MS in the LP of the TMs in the short-term. More studies with different extracts are needed to investigate the efficacy of phytotherapeutic agents for preventing MS development following myringotomy.

Comparison of the results of caloric and video head impulse tests in patients with Meniere's disease and vestibular migraine.

PURPOSE: To compare the results of video head impulse test (vHIT) and caloric testing (CT) in patients with vestibular migraine (VM) and Ménière's disease (MD) and to investigate the relationship between these two tests. METHODS: Patients with definite unilateral MD and VM were included in the study. All patients underwent both vHIT and CT. The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gains of lateral semicircular canals and saccadic waves in vHIT and the canal paresis factor for the CT were examined. RESULTS: CT was found abnormal in 39 (66.1%) patients with MD and in 17 (34%) patients with VM, while abnormal gain of the lateral canal was obtained in 23 MD (39%) patients and 9 (18%) VM patients. In all, 11.9% of patients with an abnormal vHIT had a normal CT, whereas 33.9% of those with an abnormal CT had a normal vHIT. CONCLUSION: Loss of VOR detected by caloric testing is more common and severe in MD than VM. Although vHIT is useful and can give complementary information, vestibular testing with the caloric test still seems more sensitive for detecting hVOR pathology.