The Efficacy of the Alternating Technique in TEOAE Suppression by Contralateral Acoustic Stimulation / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS) is known to reduce the amplitude of the transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) in human. However, the magnitude of the suppression effect evoked by CAS is too small to overcome the problems associated with fluctuating patient conditions as well as the environmental changes. We used an alternating technique to overcome this problem and compared the efficacy of this technique with the classic technique. The aims of this study are to show reduction of the amplitude of the TEOAE with CAS and to evaluate the efficacy of the alternating technique in measuring TEOAE suppression. MATERIALS AND METHOD: TEOAE suppression was measured in 24 ears of 12 normal hearing subjects. Both the alternating technique and classic technique were used in the same subject and condition. TEOAEs were recorded with an ILO 92 dual cannel OAE analyzer. In the alternating technique, one channel was used to stimulate and record TEOAEs from the test ear while the other channel was used to deliver 40, 50 and 60 dBSPL broadband noise to the contralateral ear. But in the classic technique, one channel was used to stimulate and record TEOAEs from the test ear while the broadband noise was applied to the contralateral ear via audiometer headphone. RESULTS: The overall contralateral noise of 40, 50 and 60 dBSPL reduced the amplitude of the TEOAE but only with 60dBSPL significantly reduced in both techniques. As larger CAS was given, the suppressive effect on the TEOAEs was greater in both techniques. But the significant difference was not found between the alternating technique and the classic technique. A total test time was 6 minutes for the alternating technique and 10 minutes for the classic technique. CONCLUSION: We confirmed the reduction of the amplitude of the TEOAE with CAS using both the techniques. No significant difference was found between the results of the alternating technique and the classal technique. We found that the alternating technique thereby decreasing the chance of fluctuating patient and environmental condition.

Two Cases of Lingual Thyroid / 대한이비인후과학회지

The lingual thyroid is the most common manilestation of benign ectopic thyroid tissue, but is still a rare clinical entity. As a result, attempts at management may prove to be rather confusing. It may present with symptoms of dysphagia, upper airway obstruction or even hemorrhage at any time from infancy through adulthood. Therefore, clinical findings, laboratory tests, and radiographic imaging studies should be employed in confirming the diagnosis and appropriate planning treatment, keeing in mind that the primary therapeutic goal is to restore the thyroid function. We report two cases of lingual thyroid gland with the review otliterature.

Diagnostic Value of Eosinophil Cationic Protein (ECP) in Nasal Secretion of Allergic Rhinitis / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The eosinophil plays an important role in allergic inflammation and the eosinophil cationic proteins (ECP) is one of the major granular proteins during its activation. ECP is proved to have an eosinophil specificity and reflects the activity of the eosinophil in the target site. We tried to identify the difference in the ECP levels between the nasal secretion of allergic and nonallergic rhinitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In order to draw a correlation between the ECP level and other diagnostic methods of allergy, we examined ECP in serum and nasal secretion of 20 patients with mite allergy and 20 non-allergic rhinitis patients. We also performed symptom questionnaires, acoustic rhinometry, the Wright-Giemsa staining of nasal brushings, and total amount of IgE in nasal secretion. RESULTS: ECP level in the nasal secretion of allergic patients after allergen challenge was higher than that of non-allergic rhinitis patients (p=0.026). We also found that the ECP level of allergic patients was higher after allergen provocation than before (p=0.005). Additionally, there was a negative correlation between the minimal cross-sectional area in acoustic rhinometry and the ECP level in the nasal secretion before the challenge (r=- 0.54, p=0.01). CONCLUSION: We concluded that ECP is the soluble marker which reflects the severity of allergic inflammation in the nose and is useful for diagnosis as well as in the follow-up care of nasal allergic inflammation.

Test / Retest Reliability of DPOAE and TEOAE / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are the objective and noninvasive methods to assess cochlear function. The purpose of the present study is to determine the short-term and long-term test/retest reliability of the distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs). MATHODS: The short-and long-term reliability of DPOAE and TEOAE were examined in 11 normally hearing adults. DPOAE were collected in two basic forms consisting of audiograms and input/output (I/O) functions and reliabilities for TEOAE level, reproducibility index and peak stimulus level were calculated. RESULTS: The result of this study showed that the reliability of DPOAE and TEOAE was generally excellent. CONCLUSIONS: The DPOAE and TEOAE are highly reliable and useful tests to monitor the cochlear function for the purpose of study or clinical use in combination with other standard tests of audiometric function.