Audiologic outcomes and complications of active middle ear implantation in older adults.

BACKGROUND: A few studies have reported the use of middle ear implants (MEIs) in older adults. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the audiologic outcomes and postoperative complications of MEIs in older adults. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed audiologic data and medical records from a single referral centre. We identified 34 patients aged ≥65 years who underwent middle ear implantation using the Vibrant SoundbridgeTM device. Preoperative audiometric testing and postoperative aided audiometric testing were performed to evaluate the functional hearing gain at 1 year postoperatively. Patients were divided into 2 groups depending on whether they underwent explantation because of poor hearing benefit. RESULTS: Follow-up duration ranged from <1 to 5.3 years. The functional gain with MEIs significantly improved relative to the preoperative air conduction thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz. Eight patients underwent explantation and 7 lost their external audio processor devices. Those who removed their implants because of the poor hearing (group 1) showed significantly worse hearing thresholds at 1 kHz and speech discrimination scores than the others (group 2). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: MEIs for auditory rehabilitation can provide improved speech recognition and significant functional gains in older adults. Patients must be given appropriate preoperative explanations regarding the expected outcomes.

Association Study of FOS-Like Antigen-2 Promoter Polymorphisms With Papillary Thyroid Cancer in Korean Population.

OBJECTIVES: FOS-like antigen-2 (FOSL-2), a member of the FOS gene family, encode leucine zipper proteins that can heterodimerize with proteins of Jun family. Thus, activating protein (AP)-1 transcription factor is formed, has a crucial role in proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of normal tissue as well as oncogenic transformation and progression. We performed an association study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FOSL-2 with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We also estimated the relationships between the SNPs and the clinicopathologic characteristics of PTC. METHODS: One promoter SNPs (rs925255) of FOSL-2 gene were genotyped with direct sequencing method in 94 PTC and 213 controls. PTC patients were dichotomized and compared with respect to clinical parameters of PTC. Genetic data were analyzed using Helixtree, SNPAnalyzer, SNPStats. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was fulfilled to evaluate the genetic effect with adjustment for age and sex. RESULTS: SNP (rs925255) in FOSL-2 showed a significant association (codominant 1 model [G/G vs. A/G]: odds ratio [OR], 0.531, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.293 to 0.96, P=0.036; dominant model: OR, 0.50, 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.89, P=0.015) with PTC. The frequency of allele G in rs925255 was also significantly associated with PTC (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.91; P=0.02). But we fail to prove significant association between this polymorphism (rs925255) and clinico-pathological parameters. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the rs925255 SNP and its allele G show significant association with the PTC in Korean population.

A case of pulsatile tinnitus from the atherosclerosis and atheroma in superior labial artery and facial artery.

Tinnitus is one of the most common symptoms in an audiologic field. It can be classified as either as subjective or objective; former referring to the sensation heard by both patient and examiner. Pulsatile tinnitus is perceived as sounds that vary in frequency, intensity and duration. The cause of pulsatile tinnitus include high jugular bulb, benign intracranial hypertension, glomus tumors, carotid artery stenosis, vascular lesions of the temporal bone, arteriovenous malformation, aneurysms, and Arnold-Chiari malformation. Vascular tinnitus is most common (7.6%). Recently, the authors experienced one case of the pulsatile tinnitus caused by atherosclerosis and atheroma in superior labial artery & facial artery. After surgery, the symptom had disappeared. We report a unique case regarding the objective tinnitus with the literature review.