Results of the detailed examinations in patients suffering from tinnitus / A teljes köru kivizsgálás eredményei fülzúgásban szenvedokön

Introduction: Tinnitus is a sound without an external sound stimulus, usually only perceived by the sufferer. Inner ear damage might be found in its background, although many other possible causes exist. Therefore, there is a need for a detailed examination in all cases. Method: In the present investigation, 100 patients (38 men, 62 women; mean age +/- SD: 59 years +/- 11.3) suffering from tinnitus were enrolled. The data and examination results of these patients were analysed in detail. The outcomes of the brain MRI, carotid-vertebral ultrasound, cervical X-ray, pure-tone audiometry, and tinnitometry were analyzed regarding the detailed examinations. Results: In terms of tinnitus laterality, left-sided (34%) and both-sided (53%) were the most frequent ones. The frequency of the examinations was the following: audiometry and tinnitometry (100%), cervical X-ray (80%), cerebral MRI (76%) and carotid-vertebral Doppler ultrasound (21%). Cervical spondylosis/spondyloarthrosis (69 patients), vascular encephalopathy (56 patients) and atherosclerosis of the carotid artery (20 patients) were observed as the most common aberrations. Using the audiometry, normal hearing was detected in 14%, slight sensorineural hearing loss in 25%, moderate sensorineural hearing loss in 44% and severe sensorineural hearing loss in 17%. Tinnitometry detected tinnitus with a mean frequency of 4200 +/- 2200 Hz and intensity of 40 +/- 14.4 dB. Conclusion: The detailed examination of patients suffering from tinnitus is essential in multidisciplinary therapy planning. Possible complications in other organs can also be detected using the carotid-vertebral ultrasound as screening method. Based on the cervical X-ray, the somatosensory tinnitus form can be observed. Pure-tone audiometry and tinnitometry help detect hearing loss combined with tinnitus, pitch, and loudness, which are also essential in therapy planning.

The effects of tinnitus on the patients' quality of life / A fülzúgás hatása a betegek életminoségére

Introduction: Tinnitus can be considered a common complaint that may significantly affect the patients' quality of life. Tinnitus may be examined based on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire. Method: The current study involved a total of 559 patients with primary tinnitus who have filled in the validated Hungarian version of the THI questionnaire. The collected data were analysed using the IBM SPSS V24 software. Results: According to sociographic variables, a mild female dominance was observed in the study population, while the average age of the tinnitus sufferers was about 60 years. In terms of laterality of the complaint, left and bilateral tinnitus dominated (39.1% and 40%). The median value was 22 months, considering the duration of the onset of the symptoms. By analysing the categories of the THI questionnaire, it was seen that the ratio of patients categorised into normal handicap was approximately 24% and that most patients were categorized into the mild handicap category (36.1%). In contrast, only 5.5% of patients reported a severe handicap. There was a significant difference between the values of all three groups (p<0.0001*, Kruskal­Wallis test), comparing the values of the individual subscores (functional, emotional, and catastrophic). Conclusion: The use of the THI questionnaire is essential to assess the deterioration in the quality of life caused by tinnitus.