Serum Renin Levels in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the serum renin levels of patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-four patients with ISSNHL and 24 asymptomatic healthy volunteers were included in the study. Subjects underwent pure-tone audiometry and serum renin levels were measured. RESULTS: There were 14 women (mean age:42.35 ± 9.53) and 10 men (mean age:43.8 ± 6.87) in the patient group. There were 14 women (mean age:42.4 ± 4.7) and 10 men (mean age:41.4 ± 4.59) in the control group. ISSNHL was detected on the right side in 13 patients and on the left side in 11 patients. Serum renin levels of the patients and controls were 788.01 ± 327.8 and 282.37 ± 107.73 pg/mL, respectively. The serum renin levels were found to be significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group (P ≤ .001). There was a statistically significant strong positive correlation between serum renin level and the severity of hearing loss (r = 0.77; P = .001). CONCLUSION: Serum renin levels of patients with ISSNHL were higher than controls. There was a statistically significant strong positive correlation between serum renin level and the severity of hearing loss.

Nasal Septal Cavernous Hemangioma.

Hemangiomas are benign tumors originating from the skin, mucosa, muscle, gland, and vascular tissue in the bone. Although it is common in the head and neck region, it is rarely seen in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Histologically capillary, cavernous, and mixed types are present, the most common is cavernous-type hemangioma. Cavernous hemangiomas in the nasal cavity, generally originated from the lateral nasal wall, cause symptoms as nasal obstruction and epistaxis. In the author's patient, cavernous hemangioma was originated from the nasal septum, where rarely seen. The author wanted to discuss this rare disease by presenting a 78-year-old woman who presented with nasal obstruction and recurrent epistaxis to the author's clinic.

Recovery of Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to identify and evaluate factors that may influence the recovery rate in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss between 2009 and 2013. Those with an identified etiology were excluded. The patients were divided into four treatment groups: (i) systemic corticosteroids (SC) only, (ii) SC+low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), (iii) SC+hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), and (iv) SC+LMWH+HBO. Recovery was evaluated according to Siegel's criteria. Age, initial hearing level, onset, treatment and audiogram types, comorbidities, and associated tinnitus and vestibular symptoms were investigated for their impact on prognosis. RESULTS: Two hundred five patients with ISSNHL were included. Recovery was seen in 59% of the patients. The complete recovery rate was significantly lower in patients older than 60 years and in patients presenting with profound hearing loss. Different audiogram curves had no significant effect on recovery. Sudden hearing loss was accompanied by tinnitus in 107 (52.1%) patients and vestibular symptoms in 55 (26.8%); however, neither was noted to affect prognosis. Different treatment combinations did not significantly affect prognosis. However, hypertension and a delay in treatment by more than 10 days from the onset of hearing loss were associated with a worse prognosis. CONCLUSION: Profound hearing loss, older than 60 years, a delay in treatment by more than 10 days, and hypertension were negative prognostic factors in this study, whereas, the type of audiogram curve and addition of HBO to SC did not affect prognosis.