Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health problem in which impaired renal clearance leads to accumulation of metabolic toxins, adversely affecting multiple organs, including the auditory system, and contributing to hearing loss. This study evaluated the diagnostic value of distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) in patients undergoing hemodialysis and compared their sensitivity with pure-tone audiometry (PTA). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 70 adult patients (aged 25–65 years) diagnosed with Stage 5 CKD and undergoing regular hemodialysis for at least 6 months. Detailed otological history, clinical examination, DPOAE, and PTA were conducted. Associations between DPOAE findings, PTA results, dialysis duration, and serum creatinine were analyzed using Chi-square and Pearson correlation tests, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Seventy patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis (42 males, 28 females; mean age: 52.4 ± 9.8 years) were evaluated. Out of 70 participants, 70% exhibited some degree of hearing loss, predominantly sensorineural (91.8%), bilateral (90.2%), and affecting high frequencies, particularly at 4 and 8 kHz. DPOAEs detected cochlear dysfunction in 80% (56/70) of patients, identifying subclinical hearing loss in 12% (8/70) who had normal PTA thresholds. Hearing thresholds showed a strong positive correlation with duration of hemodialysis ( r = 0.65, P < 0.001) and serum creatinine levels ( r = 0.55, P < 0.001), indicating worsening auditory function with increasing renal disease severity. Conclusion: DPOAEs were more sensitive than PTA in detecting early cochlear dysfunction in hemodialysis patients, with hearing loss strongly associated with longer dialysis duration and higher serum creatinine levels.
Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to use regression analysis and Bayes’ theorem to determine the risk of recurrence of chronic mesotympanitis (CM) in patients of different age groups, depending on sex. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and twenty two patients who were receiving inpatient treatment with a diagnosis of CM and had undergone tympanoplasty were examined. The sex composition was 130 women and 92 men and the age range varied from 18 to 80 years. Using multivariate regression analysis, 15 potential risk factors for the development of CM were investigated separately for the male and female groups (FGs). Results: The coefficient of determination in the male group (MG) was R2 = 0.944, whereas in the FG, R2 = 0.919. Thus, the developed model accounts for 94.4% of the factors influencing the risk of CM recurrence in the MG and 91.9% in the FG. Based on the results of the regression analysis, all patients were divided into three main groups according to the Middle Ear Risk Index (MERI). Using Bayes’ theorem, a calculation was performed to determine the sex–age dependence of the disease. Conclusion: In the intermediate risk patient group, the probability of disease recurrence is higher in the MG than in the FG, both overall and for each age group.
Introduction: There is currently no reference data on dimensions of the internal auditory meatus (IAM) among the adult population in Calabar metropolis, especially with the use of advanced imaging technology such as the computed tomography (CT) scan. Health-care givers are often faced with the dilemma of deciding whether the IAM is within its normal dimension, enlarged, or narrowed, mostly with results obtained from radiological investigations such as plain/conventional X-ray studies, characterized by very poor-quality images. Hence, the study evaluated the dimensions of the internal auditory meatus of a sampled adult population in Calabar metropolis using Computed Tomography. Materials and Methods: The study adopted a retrospective descriptive research design to assess 291 male and female individuals aged 18–89 (50.87 ± 17.95) years, referred for cranial CT scan in two tertiary health-care facilities located in Calabar. Direct measurement of the IAM dimensions obtained from the CT scan images was evaluated with the digital imaging and communication (DICOM) image viewer software application. Analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Inc, Chicago, IL, USA version 25.0. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Data revealed the length of the right IAM to be 7.34 ± 5.89 mm with an average width (W) of 3.14 ± 0.15 mm. The length of the left IAM was 8.35 ± 6.28 mm with an average width (W) of 3.13 ± 0.16 mm. The right inner width (IW) was observed to be wider in males than in females ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Dimensions of the IAM (length of 7–9 mm and width of 3–4 mm) have been established in the study population with males showing a wider right IW diameter. Values outside the aforementioned may demand further evaluation.
Background and Aim: The background and aim of this study was to compare ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) parameters between Yakshagana dancers and nondancers and evaluate possible vestibulo-ocular adaptations associated with long-term dance training. Methods: Forty adults aged 18–40 years were enrolled and divided into Yakshagana dancers ( n = 20) and nondancers ( n = 20). oVEMPs were recorded using 500 Hz tone burst stimuli. N1 and P1 latencies, peak-to-peak amplitudes, and amplitude asymmetry ratios (AARs) were analyzed. Group comparisons were performed using the Mann–Whitney U -test. Results: Yakshagana dancers demonstrated significantly higher oVEMP amplitudes in both ears compared to nondancers ( P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in N1 or P1 latencies or AAR between groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: Yakshagana dancers demonstrated higher oVEMP amplitudes than nondancers. These findings indicate differences in oVEMP responses between the groups and may reflect vestibular adaptations, differences in gaze-related muscle activation, or a combination of both.
Introduction: High prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with sudden sensorineural hearing loss(SSNHL), which may be an important treatment. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of add-on Vitamin D to standard therapy in patients presenting with sudden-onset sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of this study is to correlate the response of add-on Vitamin D treatment with baseline vitamin D levels. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial was performed on two groups of case (31 SSNHL patients) and control (27 healthy subjects without risk of hearing loss). All patient information, such as age, sex, audiogram illustration of hearing frequency, and the level of Vitamin D, was recorded at baseline. Patients with SSNHL received routine treatments such as 10 days of 1 mg/kg/day steroid, and the response or lack of complete response to treatment was recorded and analysed according to the audiometry. Results: Ten patients, five in each control and cases group, responded to treatment and have partial to complete response with hearing improvement. Only three patients showed a complete response. However, there was no significant difference in response to treatment in both the groups. Thus, our study shows no additional benefit in patients getting weekly Vitamin D therapy compared to standard treatment. Although no adverse effects were observed in the add-on therapy groups. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study indicate that patients with SSNHL had a higher frequency of Vitamin D insufficiency than the general population.
