Journal of Audiology and Otology最新文献

{"title":"Temporal Bone Imaging Opportunities With Ultra-High-Resolution Computed Tomography.","authors":"Rafael Maffei Loureiro, Daniel Vaccaro Sumi, Carolina Ribeiro Soares","doi":"10.7874/jao.2022.00346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2022.00346","url":null,"abstract":"Dear Editor, Ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (U-HRCT) is an emerging technology that has been recently introduced in the clinical setting. It offers more spatial resolution than conventional multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT), demonstrating substantial potential for improving clinical imaging. The main advantages of U-HRCT scanners include smaller detector elements and focus size, more channels and detector rows, and a higher matrix display than MDCT scanners. These features enable U-HRCT to improve spatial resolution from nearly 400-450 μm to approximately 150-200 μm, the width of a human hair [1,2]. Particularly, U-HRCT exhibits considerable potential in temporal bone imaging because of its complex anatomy with submillimeter structures, often requiring optimal multiplanar reconstructions with a high degree of spatial resolution. In the last few years, several publications have demonstrated that UHRCT considerably enhances the identification of small temporal bone structures compared to MDCT, such as the cochlea, incudostapedial joint, stapes footplate, stapedial muscle, and chorda tympani nerve (Fig. 1A and B) [1,3,4]. The anatomical information gained with U-HRCT may aid in the assessment of diseases of the middle and inner ear, such as otosclerosis and superior semicircular canal dehiscence (Fig. 1C and D). In otologic surgery, it may help to optimize patient selection, individualize surgical techniques, and improve postoperative evaluation [5]. Furthermore, the reduction of both “blooming” artifacts (from metallic materials) and partial volume effect gained with U-HRCT is especially beneficial for the precise evaluation of the position of metallic auditory implants (Fig. 1E-G), such as intravestibular stapes prosthesis protrusion and intracochlear electrode array position [6,7]. Recently, Heutink, et al. [8] reported the first in vivo detection of cochlear neo-ossification after cochlear implantation using U-HRCT, which had been previously described only on postmortem examination. U-HRCT has some inherent challenges. The increased spatial resolution has the downside of either an increase in image noise or an increase in radiation dosage to maintain the same levels of image noise. As a result, noise-reduction strategies become essential, including optimized image acquisition protocols and improved iterative reconstruction techniques. By reducing image noise, these reconstruction techniques allow for substantial radiation dose reduction while preserving image quality [9]. In addition, as spatial resolution increases and slice thickness reduces, the number of slices that must be interpreted will increase considerably. This significant rise in data volume will necessitate greater workstation post-processing power, faster network speeds, and more clinical server storage space [7]. In conclusion, U-HRCT is a commercially available technological advancement that offers higher quality images than conventional computed tomography.","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":"27 1","pages":"51-53"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/39/bd/jao-2022-00346.PMC9884993.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10672601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of Hearing Aid Usage on Emotional and Social Skills in Persons With Severe to Profound Hearing Loss.","authors":"Arun Kumar Yadav,&nbsp;Amra Ahsan,&nbsp;Vijay Kumar","doi":"10.7874/jao.2022.00290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2022.00290","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Severe to profound hearing loss impacts the capacity for verbal communication as well as the social, emotional, and overall quality of life; however, the association between socio-emotional rehabilitation and post-hearing aid use is not widely explored. This study aimed to investigate the socio-emotional change in post-hearing aid fitted individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. Materials and.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 60 individuals comprised of 15 females and 45 males with severe to profound hearing loss within the age range of 40-60 years (mean age and standard deviation of 53.4±6.1), participated in this study. Participants were divided into two categories with a 10-year age interval i.e., 40-50 and 51-60 years. These participants were equally divided into hearing aid user (HAU) and non-hearing aid user (NHAU) groups. The hearing handicapped inventory for the adults-short version (HHIA-S) adapted from Weinstein & Ventry (1983) was used in this study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean social score of all the participants was significantly higher than the mean emotional score. However, no such advantage was observed between the HAU and NHAU groups. The mean social score of females in the HAU category was significantly higher than males. The mean social and emotional scores were also compared across two age categories in the age range of 40-50 and 51-60 years and revealed no significant difference between mean social and emotional score across the age categories (p=0.026).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In individuals with severe to profound hearing loss, social rehabilitation occurs quicker than emotional. In the HAU group, socialization occurred faster in females than males. These findings suggest that a customized counselling should be developed for the social and emotional wellbeing as these two parameters improve distinctly.</p>","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":"27 1","pages":"10-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/22/2d/jao-2022-00290.PMC9884987.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10680303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Aging on Speech Discrimination.","authors":"Jiwon Choi,&nbsp;Taeho Kim,&nbsp;Sunhong Kim,&nbsp;Yoonho Kim,&nbsp;Dong-Kee Kim","doi":"10.7874/jao.2022.00304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2022.00304","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with decrease in speech discrimination ability seen in patients with presbycusis and whether aging has a significant effect on the observed decline.</p><p><strong>Subjects and methods: </strong>We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients aged >40 years who had undergone pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, and auditory brainstem response for hearing loss at our hospital from January 2019 to June 2021, and investigated the factors that correlated with speech discrimination score.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We enrolled 103 patients with 120 ears, with a mean age of 65.8±11.9 years. The pure-tone average of the patients' thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz was 37.2±27.7 dB HL, and their mean speech discrimination score was 82.5%± 22.3%. A correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the patients' speech discrimination scores and age. In addition, all variables of pure-tone audiometry and the patients' auditory brainstem responses were significantly correlated with the speech discrimination scores. The pure-tone average had the strongest negative correlation. On analyzing the significant predictors of lower speech discrimination scores, using a multiple linear regression analysis, pure-tone average and age showed significant results.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The speech discrimination ability of older patients with hearing loss significantly decreases with increasing pure-tone average and age.</p>","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":" ","pages":"198-201"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/a8/d0/jao-2022-00304.PMC9597269.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40362747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cartilage Graft in Myringoplasty: What Are the Factors Influencing Hearing Gain?","authors":"Naourez Kolsi,&nbsp;Nawress Bouaziz,&nbsp;Mahdi Ferjaoui,&nbsp;Khaled Harrathi,&nbsp;Rachida Bouatay,&nbsp;Jamel Koubaa","doi":"10.7874/jao.2022.00108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2022.00108","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>We present the anatomical and functional results on the use of cartilage in myringoplasty and use the data to analyze the factors influencing hearing gain.</p><p><strong>Subjects and methods: </strong>This retrospective study included 161 cases of cartilage myringoplasties collected over an 11-year period (2010-2020). Of the 161 cases, the etiology of the tympanic perforations was simple chronic otitis media in 154 (95.65%) ears and traumatic in 7 (4.35%) ears. The mean preoperative Rinne was 26.20±7.05 dB. The most commonly used approach was retroauricular, and the common graft material was tragal or conqual cartilage.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After the follow-up period (mean:15 months), the anatomical success rate was 93.2%; there were nine cases of reperforation, of which three were reoperated with a good final result. The hearing success rate (residual Rinne ≤20 dB) was 91.9% with an average gain of 11.48±8.62 dB. The only factor significantly influencing the anatomical outcome was the history of chronic rhinosinusitis. In univariate studies, several factors influencing the functional result were revealed; the only one retained after elimination of bias was the anatomical result.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We recommend cartilage as the material of choice for myringoplasties as it has been shown to be resistant to predictive factors of failure after tympanic repair surgery. We recommend the adequate management of all chronic rhinosinusitis before performing myringoplasty.</p>","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":" ","pages":"208-213"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/f2/5a/jao-2022-00108.PMC9597273.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40362748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subtotal Petrosectomy and Cochlear Implantation in Children With Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media: A Single Institutional Experience","authors":"P. Bako, Márton Kovács, J. Uzsaly, Andras Burian, Greta Bodzai, A. Németh, A. Tóth, I. Szanyi, I. Gerlinger","doi":"10.7874/jao.2022.00220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2022.00220","url":null,"abstract":"Background and Objectives Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) with or without cholesteatoma is a frequent chronic inflammatory condition in children, which may lead to severe hearing loss that affects speech development. Treatment of recurrent CSOM associated with unserviceable hearing requires a specialized approach with regard to disease eradication and hearing rehabilitation. In this study, we investigated the advantages of subtotal petrosectomy (SP) combined with cochlear implantation (CI) in children with CSOM associated with unserviceable hearing and describe our experience with regard to the efficacy of this method, together with a literature review. Subjects and Methods SP with sequential or simultaneous CI was performed in three children (four ears), and postoperative audiometric data were recorded. Results The study included two male and one female patient. Mean age at the time of SP was 10.75 years (7–13 years). Sequential implantation was performed in three ears. Facial nerve palsy occurred after SP in one patient. The latest word recognition scores of Cases 1, 2, and 3 were 80% (at 60 dB), 75% (at 60 dB), and 70% (at 50 dB) and 90% (at 50 dB), respectively. Conclusions SP with CI may be safe and reliable in children with CSOM associated with unserviceable hearing.","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":"171 1","pages":"214 - 222"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86801336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Removal and Repositioning of a Piston Wire Prosthesis That Entered the Vestibule Secondary to Trauma in a Patient Who Underwent Stapedotomy.","authors":"Sung Min Koh,&nbsp;Younghac Kim,&nbsp;Joo Hyun Park,&nbsp;Young Sang Cho","doi":"10.7874/jao.2021.00626","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2021.00626","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Otosclerosis is a common cause of adult-onset hearing impairment, and stapedotomy is often performed as surgical treatment. Several studies have reported the complications of stapedotomy surgery; piston wire prosthesis (PWP) disruption or dislocation secondary to indirect force attributable to head trauma is described in many patients. Most PWPs that get displaced are slanted or are completely dislodged from the stapedotomy site and lodged within the middle ear. PWP dislocation into the vestibule is extremely rare. A 65-year-old woman who was involved in a traffic accident underwent computed tomography, which revealed a right-sided PWP in the vestibule. Two weeks after the accident, we observed conductive hearing loss associated with a large air-bone gap (ABG, 47 dB) accompanied by spontaneous nystagmus directed to the right without any change in nystagmus following changes in head or body position. She underwent endoscopic exploratory tympanotomy under general anesthesia, 23 days after the injury. We gently pulled the PWP from the vestibule and repositioned it at its original site with a length of 5.2 mm on the long process of the incus. Pure tone audiometry performed 8 months postoperatively showed a decrease in the ABG from 47 to 10 dB without any complications.</p>","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":"26 4","pages":"223-226"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/d5/4f/jao-2021-00626.PMC9597272.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39946543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Application of Virtual Reality in Hearing Disorders","authors":"Chanbeom Kwak, Woojae Han, Junghwa Bahng","doi":"10.7874/jao.2022.00234","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2022.00234","url":null,"abstract":"Background and Objectives Trendy technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) are being increasingly used for hearing loss, tinnitus, and vestibular disease. Thus, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the possible benefits of the use of VR and AR technologies in patients with hearing loss, tinnitus, and/or vestibular dysfunction, with the aim of suggesting potential applications of these technologies for both researchers and clinicians. Materials and Methods Published articles from 1968 to 2022 were gathered from six electronic journal databases. Applying our specified inclusion and/or exclusion criteria, 23 studies were analyzed. As only one article on hearing loss and two articles on tinnitus were found, 20 studies on vestibular dysfunction were only finally included for the meta-analysis. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were chosen as estimates to compare the studies. A funnel plot and Egger’s regression analysis were used to identify any risk of bias. Results High heterogeneity (I2: 83%, τ2: 0.5431, p<0.01) was identified across the studies on vestibular dysfunction. VR-based rehabilitation was significantly effective for individuals with vestibular disease (SMDs: 0.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.08 to 0.15, p<0.05). A subgroup analysis revealed that only improvement in the subjective questionnaire was meaningful and statistically significant (SMDs: -0.66, 95% CI: -1.10 to -0.22). Conclusions VR-based vestibular rehabilitation showed potential for subjective rating measures like Dizziness Handicap Index. The negative effect of aging on vestibular disease was indirectly confirmed. More clinical trials and an evidence-based approach are needed to confirm the implementation of state-of-the-art technology for hearing loss and tinnitus, representative diseases in neurotology.","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":"6 1","pages":"169 - 181"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91237080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trends in Performance Using Early Speech Perception Test in Typically Developing Tamil-Speaking Children.","authors":"Gladys Prathiba Dawson,&nbsp;Ravikumar Arunachalam,&nbsp;Prakash Boominathan,&nbsp;Asha Yathiraj","doi":"10.7874/jao.2021.00703","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2021.00703","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>The study attempted to trace age-related changes in speech perception in typically developing children (≥3 to ≤6 years) using the \"Early Speech Perception (ESP)\" in Tamil. The test was developed in line with the original English version of ESP but adapted to suit the linguistic requirement of the Tamil language.</p><p><strong>Subjects and methods: </strong>Using a cross-sectional design, the test was administered to 205 children with normal hearing who were classified into three age groups (≥3 to ≤4, >4 to ≤5, and >5 to ≤6 years). The developed test had three subtests (syllable categorization, bisyllable word identification, and trisyllable word identification).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All three age groups obtained perfect or near-perfect scores on the three subtests of ESP. There was no significant difference observed between the two adjacent age groups (≥3 to ≤4 vs. >4 to ≤5 years, >4 to ≤5 vs. >5 to ≤6 years) for all three subtests. However, significant differences were seen only between the youngest and the oldest age groups for the three subtests (≥3 to ≤4 vs. >5 to ≤6 years).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results indicated that ESP in Tamil can be performed effectively in all the three age groups studied.</p>","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":" ","pages":"192-197"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/a8/83/jao-2021-00703.PMC9597274.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40592751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Audiological Profiling and Rehabilitation Outcomes in a Child With Johanson-Blizzard Syndrome.","authors":"Aiza Fatima Raza,&nbsp;Dilli Raj Paudel,&nbsp;Kavassery Venkateswaran Nisha","doi":"10.7874/jao.2021.00444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2021.00444","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Johanson Blizzard syndrome (JBS) is an autosomal recessive disorder that shows a multi-faceted impact on almost all body functions, including speech and hearing. This case presentation describes the comprehensive audiological and rehabilitative profile of an 8-year-old female child with JBS while correlating the test results to the physiological aspects of hearing. Case history revealed poor developmental motor skills, delayed speech and language development with hypothyroidism, and dysmorphic facial features including low bat ears, micrognathia, high arched palate, and hypoplasia of nasal alae. Conditioned pure-tone audiometric responses revealed profound hearing loss of cochlear origin in both ears, which was substantiated with bilateral A-type tympanogram in immittance evaluation. Otoacoustic emissions and auditory brain stem response were absent in both ears, consistent with the audiometric findings. Rehabilitation attempts with a cochlear implant and hearing aid in the opposite ears showed differential improvements, which were in harmony with the aided thresholds. The physiological basis for each finding and future implications are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":"26 3","pages":"160-165"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/ad/32/jao-2021-00444.PMC9271738.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39622470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ordering Characteristics of Anti-Heat Shock Protein 70 Antibody in Australasia.","authors":"Adrian Yong Sing Lee","doi":"10.7874/jao.2021.00535","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2021.00535","url":null,"abstract":"Dear Editor, Anti-heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) IgG antibodies are commonly ordered serum autoantibodies in the investigation of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), either primary or associated with other conditions such as Meniere’s disease. It is a biomarker for autoimmune SNHL that may respond to steroids; yet, lacks diagnostic sensitivity and specificity [1]. It may be found in around a quarter of patients with autoimmune SNHL and a third of patients with Meniére’s disease [2]. The Westmead Immunology laboratory (Westmead Hospital) is a quaternary referral laboratory that performs testing of these autoantibodies in Australasia. We reviewed the ordering characteristics of anti-HSP70 over a 5-year period from 2016-2021. Testing was performed using a qualitative line immunoblot (ImmcoStripe, Trinity Biotech, Buffalo, NY, USA) as per manufacturer’s instructions, and graded as not detected (negative), detected (positive) or equivocal for antiHSP70 IgG. Two experienced scientists independently performed the evaluation. There were 856 tests for anti-HSP70 over the 5-year period with 28 (3.3%) and 53 (6.2%) specimens were equivocal and positive for the autoantibody, respectively. The mean age was 48.5±19.2 years and the cohort consisted of 507 (59.2%) females. As indicated by Table 1, there were no significant differences in these statistics according to the anti-HSP70 result. The most common ordering specialties were otolaryngology (576, 67.3%), immunology (88, 10.3%), general practice (71, 8.3%), neurology (67, 7.8%) and rheumatology (11, 1.3%). Out of these specialties, otolaryngology patients had a reduced proportion of patients with a positive anti-HSP70 compared to their general cohort, perhaps reflecting the large proportion of patients with SNHL they evaluate (Table 1). Immunology referred a significantly higher proportion of patients with positive anti-HSP70 likely due to their involvement with patients with autoimmune SNHL (Table 1). The clinical notes and medical records were reviewed for each request episode. Out of the 856 episodes, these were available for 672 episodes (78.5%). The most common reason for requesting the autoantibody were for the investigation of hearing loss (453/672, 67.4%). The frequency of negative, equivocal, and positive anti-HSP70 antibodies did not differ according to the main reason for requesting the test (Table 1). The surprising lack of correlations with the presence of anti-HSP70 in this cohort may relate to the heterogeneous state and aetiology of patients with SNHL since the autoantibody tends to be present in patients with active disease over inactive disease [3]. Moreover, some of these patients may have been on treatment which was not possible to ascertain from clinical notes alone. Other studies have maintained that antiHSP70 is of limited clinical utility in screening patients with deafness [4], and controversies exist about the assay used to measure these autoantibodies [5]. This is the first real-worl","PeriodicalId":44886,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Audiology and Otology","volume":"26 3","pages":"166-167"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/66/99/jao-2021-00535.PMC9271731.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39613478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}