The Relationship between the Characteristics of Tinnitus and the Hearing Curative Effect of Sudden Deafness.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is the most common complication of sudden deafness. There are many studies on tinnitus and tinnitus as a prognostic factor for sudden deafness. SUMMARY: We collected 285 cases (330 ears) of sudden deafness to investigate the relationship between tinnitus psychoacoustic characteristics and the hearing curative effective rate. The hearing curative effective rate was analyzed and compared between the patients whether it is accompanied by tinnitus, with different tinnitus frequency and different tinnitus loudness. KEY MESSAGES: Patients with tinnitus frequency (125-2,000 Hz) and no tinnitus have better hearing efficacy, and those with high frequency tinnitus (3,000-8,000 Hz) have worse hearing efficacy. Test the tinnitus frequency of patients in the initial stage of sudden deafness has some guiding significance for the evaluation of hearing prognosis.

Clinical value of the Eustachian Tube Function Scoring System T-ETDQ: a prospective diagnostic study.

PURPOSE: Tubomanometry (TMM) and the seven-item Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) was integrated to establish the Tubomanometry Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (T-ETDQ), and its reliability, potential clinical application, and diagnostic value for Eustachian tube function were investigated. METHODS: This prospective diagnostic study included patients visiting the ENT Department of our Hospital, between April and June 2021. Patients were grouped into Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) and control groups according to tympanometry diagnosis results. The diagnostic value of the T-ETDQ was evaluated using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: There were 48 patients with Obstructive ETD and 24 patients without. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of T-ETDQ was 0.898 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.826-0.969), and the highest sensitivity and specificity were 76.7% and 86.7% respectively when the positive cutoff value was 4.72. The AUC of Eustachian tube score (ETS) was 0.731 (95% CI 0.625-0.837) and the highest sensitivity and specificity were 48.3% and 90.0% respectively when the positive cut-off value was 4.5. The ETS and T-ETDQ had kappa values of 0.311 and 0.585, respectively (P < 0.001 for both), showing both methods were comparable to tympanometry; however, T-ETDQ had more consistent results than ETS. CONCLUSION: T-ETDQ can effectively quantify and evaluate ETD severity in adults, has a higher diagnostic value than ETS, making it a suitable diagnostic tool.

[Significance of certain experiments relevant to airflow parameters in assessment of voice function].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of airflow parameters of some specific examinations in voice function assessment. METHODS: The s/z ratio, pulmonary function and phonatory aerodynamic parameters were measured in subjects with benign vocal fold lesions and with normal voice. The effect of treatment in subjects with benign vocal fold lesions was evaluated with the phonatory aerodynamic parameters. RESULTS: The value of s/z ratio in the disease group was higher than that in the normal group (P<0.05). The value of PEF was significantly different between the disease group and the normal group for male (P<0.05). MFR, MPT, PTF, SGP, PTP, VE were significantly different between the disease group and the normal group (P<0.05). MFR, MPT, PTF, SGP, PTP of the disease group after surgery for both sex were significantly different from before surgery (P<0.05). The disease group was subdivided into two groups through stroboscopic examination before and one month after surgery: the worse group (with some functional laryngeal abnormality, or organic abnormality except benign vocal fold lesion) and the better group. PTF, PTP, SGP, VE were significantly different between the worse group and the normal voice group. There was almost no significant difference for aerodynamic parameters between the better group and the normal voice group (P>0.05). There was no significant difference between the worse group after 8 weeks'voice training and the normal voice group (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: s/z ratio, aerodynamic parameters (MFR, MPT, SGP, PTF, PTP, VE) are valuable for the diagnosis and assessment of the voice disorders. Aerodynamic parameters are sensitive to the change of glottal function during the treatment. Voice training can increase the glottal function of patients after laryngeal microsurgery.

[Micromorphological observation of bacterial biofilms on ciliated epithelia of chronic rhinosinusitis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the micromorphological characteristic of bacterial biofilm on mucosa of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). METHOD: Mucosa samples of middle turbinate were obtained from 4 patients of CRS during ESS. The size of each sample was about 4 mm x 4 mm. The samples were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 24 hours, then fixed in 1% osmium tetroxide for 2 hours, graded dehydration with ethanol, dried with carbon dioxide and sputter coated with gold. The ultrastructure of these samples was observed by scanning electron microscope. RESULT: Bacterial biofilms were found on samples in all 4 patients. The biofilms were mainly formed on the surface of cilia. The bacterial flagella and cilia were intertwined. The biofilms could be found in a lot kinds of bacterial infections or mixed infections which were caused by multiple bacteria and fungi. CONCLUSION: Bacterial biofilm could be formed on ciliated epithelia.