Consensus Statements on the Definition, Classification, and Diagnostic Tests for Tinnitus: A Delphi Study Conducted by the Korean Tinnitus Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is a bothersome condition associated with various symptoms. However, the mechanisms of tinnitus are still uncertain, and a standardized assessment of the diagnostic criteria for tinnitus is required. We aimed to reach a consensus on diagnosing tinnitus with professional experts by conducting a Delphi study with systematic review of the literature. METHODS: Twenty-six experts in managing tinnitus in Korea were recruited, and a two-round modified Delphi study was performed online. The experts evaluated the level of agreement of potential criteria for tinnitus using a scale of 1-9. After the survey, a consensus meeting was held to establish agreement on the results obtained from the Delphi process. Consensus was defined when over 70% of the participants scored 7-9 (agreement) and fewer than 15% scored 1-3 (disagreement). To analyze the responses of the Delphi survey, the content validity ratio and Kendall's coefficient of concordance were evaluated. RESULTS: Consensus was reached for 22 of the 38 statements. For the definition of tinnitus, 10 out of 17 statements reached consensus, with three statements achieving complete agreement including; 1) Tinnitus is a conscious perception of an auditory sensation in the absence of a corresponding external stimulus, 2) Tinnitus can affect one's quality of life, and 3) Tinnitus can be associated with hearing disorders including sensorineural hearing loss, vestibular schwannoma, Meniere's disease, otosclerosis, and others. For the classification of tinnitus, 11 out of 18 statements reached consensus. The participants highly agreed with statements such as; 1) Vascular origin is expected in pulse-synchronous tinnitus, and 2) Tinnitus can be divided into acute or chronic tinnitus. Among three statements on the diagnostic tests for tinnitus only Statement 3, "There are no reliable biomarkers for sensory or emotional factors of tinnitus." reached consensus. All participants agreed to perform pure-tone audiometry and tinnitus questionnaires, including the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Tinnitus Questionnaire. CONCLUSION: We used a modified Delphi method to establish a consensus-based definition, a classification, and diagnostic tests for tinnitus. The expert panel reached agreement for several statements, with a high level of consensus. This may provide practical information for clinicians in managing tinnitus.

Long-term follow-up results of facial nerve schwannoma with good facial nerve function: a multicenter study.

PURPOSE: Facial nerve schwannomas (FNSs) are rare intracranial tumors, and the optimal management of these tumors remains unclear. We investigated the long-term follow-up results of FNS with good facial nerve function. METHODS: At nine medical centers in the Korean Facial Nerve Study Group, 43 patients undergoing observation periods longer than 12 months for FNS with good facial nerve function (House-Brackmann grade ≤ II) were enrolled, and clinical and radiographic data were obtained for these cases. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 63 months. In the majority of cases, tumors involved multiple segments (81.4%) and only eight cases were confined to a single site. There were no cases where the tumor was confined to the extratemporal region. Tumor size increased slightly, with an average estimated change of 0.48 mm/year. Twenty (46.5%) of 43 patients showed no change in tumor size. Seven patients (16.3%) showed worsening House-Brackmann (H-B) grade, of which two patients deteriorated from H-B grade I to II, four worsened to grade III, and one deteriorated to grade IV. The remaining 36 patients (83.7%) showed no change in facial nerve function. There was no difference in H-B grade according to tumor size at the time of diagnosis or change in tumor size. CONCLUSION: We conducted a large-scale observational study of FNS with good facial nerve function. Our study showed that many patients maintained facial nerve function during long-term follow-up. Conservative management with regular examination and imaging can be an appropriate option for managing FNS with good facial nerve function.

Interpretation of the nine-step test for Eustachian tube function should consider mastoid cavity volume.

INTRODUCTION: The modified nine-step test is a classical method for evaluating Eustachian tube function. However, clinical interpretation of the increased maximal difference in middle ear pressure (mdMEP) in the modified nine-step test is unknown. We hypothesised that the different reservoir effects of the mastoid cavity can bias the results of the modified nine-step test. METHODS: A total of 108 consecutive participants (216 ears) were retrospectively screened. Of these, 55 participants (82 ears) who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria were enrolled. The volumetric results of the mastoid cavity, parameters of the modified nine-step test (mdMEP, middle ear pressure, tympanic membrane compliance), and demographic data were analysed. RESULTS: A significant negative correlation was found between mdMEP and mastoid cavity volume (R = .467, p < .001). Ears with mdMEP >70 daPa showed poor pneumatization in the mastoid cavity, with volumes less than 3000 mm3 (10th percentile of all ears analysed). Ears with mastoid cavity volumes lower than the 25th percentile showed a significantly higher mdMEP (p < .001). Patients with mastoid cavity volumes higher than the 75th percentile were significantly younger (p < .001). Multivariate regression analysis for mdMEP showed a good fit (R = .854) using factors including middle ear pressure, admittance and, most importantly, the reciprocal of mastoid volume (Beta = 0.752, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The mdMEP, the main parameter of the modified nine-step test, was negatively correlated with the mastoid cavity volume. Therefore, the results of the modified nine-step test should be interpreted with consideration of mastoid cavity volume.

Comprehensive Prediction Model, Including Genetic Testing, for the Outcomes of Cochlear Implantation.

OBJECTIVES: Despite growing interest in the genetic contribution to cochlear implant (CI) outcomes, only a few studies with limited samples have examined the association of CI outcomes with genetic etiologies. We analyzed CI outcomes using known predictors and genetic testing results to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of genetic etiologies. DESIGN: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and images of patients who underwent cochlear implantation and genetic testing at a single tertiary medical institution, between May 2008 and December 2020. After excluding those whose speech test results were unavailable, and those in whom the implant was removed due to complications, such as infection or device failure, 203 patients were included in this study. The participants were categorized into adult (≥19 years), child (2-18 years), and infant (<24 months) groups. Outcomes were measured based on categories of auditory perception, monosyllable, disyllable, and sentence scores. For the infant group, the Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale score was used. RESULTS: Among the 203 participants, a causative genetic variant was identified in 117 (57.6%) individuals. The presence of a causative variant was significantly associated with better CI outcomes in the infant group (ß = 0.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.01 to 0.47; p = 0.044), but not in the child and adult groups. In the genetically confirmed patients without cochlear malformation, genetic variants involving the spiral ganglion was a poor prognostic factor in the child group (ß = -57.24; 95% confidence interval, -90.63 to -23.75; p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of known genetic etiology of hearing loss was associated with better CI outcomes in the infant group, but not in the child and adult groups. A neural-type genetic variant was a poor prognostic factor in the genetically diagnosed child subgroup without cochlear malformation. Careful genetic counseling should be performed before cochlear implantation.

Surgical and nonsurgical treatment outcomes in traumatic facial nerve palsy.

PURPOSE: Facial nerve decompression surgery is performed on patients with immediate, complete traumatic facial palsy. However, the clinical advantage of the surgical treatment has weak evidence because of lack of control groups in previous studies. Therefore, this study compared facial function outcomes between the patients who underwent surgery and those who did not. Furthermore, in cases of bilateral traumatic facial palsy, the outcomes of the surgical and nonsurgical sides were also discussed. METHODS: A retrospective medical chart review of immediate and severe (House-Brackman [HB] grade V and VI) traumatic facial palsy was conducted. Twenty-five ears from the surgical group and eight ears from the conservative treatment group were enrolled. Among the patients, three with immediate and severe bilateral facial palsy underwent unilateral surgery. RESULTS: The average HB grade after 1-year follow-up was 1.7 in the surgical group and 1.5 in the nonsurgical group. Four patients who have definite facial canal disruption in the imaging study have recovered to HB grades I-III without surgical intervention. In patients with bilateral facial palsy, the nonsurgical side showed the same or better facial functions than the surgical side. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with nonsurgical conservative treatment, facial nerve decompression surgery did not show superior outcomes in immediate HB grade V-VI traumatic facial palsy. The clinical advantage of facial nerve decompression is questionable and should be re-evaluated in a prospectively designed study.

Celastrol suppresses the growth of vestibular schwannoma in mice by promoting the degradation of ß-catenin.

Vestibular schwannoma (VS), one of characteristic tumors of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), is an intracranial tumor that arises from Schwann cells of the vestibular nerve. VS results in hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, and even death, but there are currently no FDA-approved drugs for treatment. In this study, we established a high-throughput screening to discover effective compounds that could inhibit the viability of VS cells. Among 1019 natural products from the Korea Chemical Bank screened, we found that celastrol, a pentacyclic triterpene derived from a Tripterygium Wilfordi plant, exerted potent inhibitory effect on the viability of VS cells with an IC50 value of 0.5 µM. Celastrol (0.5, 1 µM) dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of primary VS cells derived from VS patients. Celastrol also inhibited the growth, and induced apoptosis of two other VS cell lines (HEI-193 and SC4). Aberrant activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling has been found in VS isolated from clinically defined NF2 patients. In HEI-193 and SC4 cells, we demonstrated that celastrol (0.1, 0.5 µM) dose-dependently inhibited TOPFlash reporter activity and protein expression of ß-catenin, but not mRNA level of ß-catenin. Furthermore, celastrol accelerated the degradation of ß-catenin by promoting the formation of the ß-catenin destruction complex. In nude mice bearing VS cell line SC4 allografts, administration of celastrol (1.25 mg · kg-1 · d-1, i.p. once every 3 days for 2 weeks) significantly suppressed the tumor growth without showing toxicity. Collectively, this study demonstrates that celastrol can inhibit Wnt/ß-catenin signaling by promoting the degradation of ß-catenin, consequently inhibiting the growth of VS.

Analysis of Surgical Approaches to Skull Base Tumors Involving the Pterygopalatine and Infratemporal Fossa.

Selecting an appropriate surgical approach for resection of huge skull base tumors involving pterygopalatine and infratemporal fossa is challenging because of their rarity and high possibility of vital anatomical structure injuries. To suggest the guidance of selecting the appropriate approach by analyzing outcomes and satisfactions of known surgical approaches with our previous experience, the authors retrospectively analyzed skull base tumor cases experienced for 24 years, and condensed to 4 well-known surgical approaches: maxillary swing, infratemporal fossa type C, transzygomatic, and a combined transzygomatic-midfacial degloving approach: to review indications, advantages, and limitations of these approaches. Maxillary swing approach was useful in large-sized tumors as it provided wide surgical field; however, inevitable facial scar was the main drawbacks, especially in adolescents. Infratemporal fossa approach type C was helpful in the involvement of vital vascular structures; however, long incision scar with temporal area depression and permanent conductive hearing loss were the factors of patients' dissatisfaction. Transzygomatic approach could be the good alternative to the infratemporal fossa approach type C; however, en bloc tumor resection was impossible due to its limited operative space. To overcome limitations of these approaches, transzygomatic approach was combined with midfacial degloving approach, and it enabled lateral and anterior access without prominent facial scar and/or deformity while providing wide surgical space. Based on our 24 years of surgical experience in managing huge skull base tumors, the authors recommend the combined transzygomatic-midfacial degloving approach, which enables complete resection with short postoperative healing periods and no disfiguring facial incisions.

Prospective, Multicenter Study on Tinnitus Changes after Cochlear Implantation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the time course of tinnitus changes in patients receiving cochlear implantation (CI) in a prospective, multicenter setting and to determine related factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 79 adult patients who underwent CI were included in this study. We used the same questionnaires sequentially 5 times. The questionnaires included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for tinnitus severity, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Beck's Depression Index (BDI), and the Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument (BEPSI) for stress assessment. RESULTS: Tinnitus was present in 59 (74.7%) of the 79 study subjects. After CI, tinnitus was eliminated in 10 patients (25%) and improved in 16 patients (40%) of the 40 patients who completed the final questionnaires, and most of the tinnitus reduction occurred in the early period of CI use. In an analysis of psychological functioning with CI, BDI was reduced significantly after CI. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that preoperative auditory steady-state response (ASSR), THI, and final BDI score were significantly associated with the changes in tinnitus after CI. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the tinnitus reduction occurred within 1 month after CI use, and the changes were significantly associated with THI, ASSR, and BDI scores 6 months after CI. CI is a valuable therapeutic modality in tinnitus of a deafened ear.

Ventilation tube insertion is not effective to the treatment of hearing impairment in pediatric patients with Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a multiple developmental disorder including hearing loss. The hearing impairment in CdLS patients is not only sensorineural but also conductive hearing loss (CHL). The aim of this study was to elucidate hearing loss causes in CdLS patients and evaluate the effect of ventilation tube (v-tube) insertion in the cases of CHL. METHODS: Thirty-two patients clinically diagnosed with CdLS were enrolled and analyzed with retrospective case review. Audiologic evaluations and imaging studies such as a temporal bone computed tomogram or brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed for all patients. Hearing rehabilitation such as ventilation tube insertion, hearing aid fitting, or cochlear implantation was chosen depending on the audiological condition. RESULTS: Among 32 CdLS patients who underwent auditory brainstem response test, 81.2% presented hearing loss. Imaging studies showed that only middle ear lesions without inner ear anomalies were identified in 56.3%. Notably, the soft tissue lesion in middle ear was identified even in the neonatal MRI. When 7 patients were thought to have CHL due to otitis media with effusion, v-tube insertion was applied first. However, v-tube insertion rarely improved CHL postoperatively. Moreover, middle ear lesion was not fluid effusion but soft tissue lesion according to the intraoperative finding. These lesions were not eradicated even after revision surgery of v-tube insertion. CONCLUSION: V-tube insertion is not effective to improve hearing or eradicate otitis media with effusion in CdLS patients.

Changes in Tinnitus After Middle Ear Implant Surgery: Comparisons With the Cochlear Implant.

OBJECTIVES: Tinnitus is a very common symptom in patients with hearing loss. Several studies have confirmed that hearing restoration using hearing aids or cochlear implants (CIs) has a suppressive effect on tinnitus in users. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of other hearing restoration devices, specifically the middle ear implant (MEI), on changes in tinnitus severity. DESIGN: From 2012 to October 2014, 11 adults with tinnitus and hearing loss underwent MEI surgery. Pure-tone audiometry, tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), and visual analog scale scores for loudness, awareness, and annoyance and psychosocial instruments were measured before, immediately after, and 6 months after surgery. Changes in hearing thresholds and THI scores were analyzed and compared with those of 16 CI recipients. RESULTS: In both MEI and CI groups, significant improvements in tinnitus were found after the surgery. The THI scores improved in 91% of patients in the MEI group and in 56% of those in the CI group. Visual analog scale scores and psychosocial scale scores also decreased after surgery, but there were no statistical differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the MEI may be as beneficial as the CI in relieving tinnitus in subjects with unilateral tinnitus accompanying hearing loss. Furthermore, this improvement may manifest as hearing restoration or habituation rather than a direct electrical nerve stimulation, which was previously considered as the main mechanism underlying tinnitus suppression by auditory implants.

Association between vestibular schwannomas and mobile phone use.

Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) grow in the region where the energy from mobile phone use is absorbed. We examined the associations of VSs with mobile phone use. This study included 119 patients who had undergone surgical tumor removal. We used two approaches in this investigation. First, a case-control study for the association of mobile phone use and incidence of VSs was conducted. Both cases and controls were investigated with questions based on INTERPHONE guidelines. Amount of mobile phone use according to duration, daily amount, and cumulative hours were compared between two groups. We also conducted a case-case study. The location and volume of the tumors were investigated by MRI. Associations between the estimated amount of mobile phone use and tumor volume and between the laterality of phone use and tumor location were analyzed. In a case-control study, the odds ratio (OR) of tumor incidence according to mobile phone use was 0.956. In the case-case study, tumor volume and estimated cumulative hours showed a strong correlation (r(2) = 0.144, p = 0.002), and regular mobile phone users showed tumors of a markedly larger volume than those of non-regular users (p < 0.001). When the analysis was limited to regular users who had serviceable hearing, laterality showed a strong correlation with tumor side (OR = 4.5). We found that tumors may coincide with the more frequently used ear of mobile phones and tumor volume that showed strong correlation with amount of mobile phone use, thus there is a possibility that mobile phone use may affect tumor growth.

Comparison of the outcomes of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to the ipsilateral and contralateral auditory cortex in unilateral tinnitus.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive method of activating or deactivating focal areas of the human brain. Repetitive TMS (rTMS) applied over the temporoparietal cortex has been reported to show therapeutic effects on tinnitus. We compared the effects of 1 Hz rTMS delivered either contralaterally or ipsilaterally to the symptomatic ear in patients with unilateral tinnitus. Forty patients with asymmetric hearing loss and non-pulsatile tinnitus localized to poorer ear of 6 months in duration or greater who were refractory to medication were enrolled in this study. Patients were assigned randomly to one of two treatment groups: with 1 Hz stimulation applied the temporoparietal junction either ipsilaterally (n = 21) or contralaterally (n = 19) to the symptomatic ear. The patients were given 600 pulses per session daily for 5 d. Changes in the tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and self-rating visual analog scores (VAS) for loudness, awareness and annoyance were analyzed before, immediately after and 1 month after treatment. There was no significant difference in the rate of patients with marked improvement between ipsilateral and contralateral stimulation groups. In addition, there were no significant differences in the amount of decreases in THI scores and VAS between the two groups immediately or 1 month after rTMS. Finally, significant decreases in THI scores and most VAS were observed 1 month after rTMS in both groups compared to pretreatment. Daily treatment with 1 Hz rTMS ipsilaterally and contralaterally to the side of tinnitus both had significant beneficial effects. The laterality of stimulation with 1 Hz rTMS is not the decisive factor in relieving symptoms.

A case of sudden hearing loss during treatment with decitabine for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) was initially classified in the category of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), but it is now categorized by the 2001 World Health Organization (WHO) classification in a separate nosological group of MDS. Unlike chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the bone marrow morphology in CMML demonstrates prominent dysplastic changes in at least two of the three myeloid lineages. A 73-year-old male patient was brought to division of hematology for evaluation of leukocytosis. He was diagnosed with CMML and treated with decitabine. The hearing impairment had arisen during the third cycle of decitabine. To our knowledge, this is the first case that idiopathic sudden hearing loss (SHL) occured in CMML patients during treatment with decitabine.

Tailored re-roofing technique for pulsatile tinnitus caused by sigmoid sinus dehiscence or diverticulum.

Background: Sigmoid sinus diverticulum/dehiscence (SSD) is one of the treatable causes of venous pulsatile tinnitus. It can be diagnosed using temporal bone computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance angiography/venography (MRA). In cases where patients find their symptoms intolerable, surgical treatment is typically preferred. Here, we have presented a novel surgical technique involving sigmoid sinus re-roofing and have analyzed its feasibility. Methods: Between January 2020 and July 2023, approximately 150 patients with pulsatile tinnitus were evaluated at two different tertiary hospitals. Of these, 12 patients were diagnosed with SSD, and seven underwent surgical treatment. Five patients were treated with tailored reroofing (TRR) of the sigmoid sinus and two with transmastoid resurfacing (MRS) of the sigmoid sinus. We compared the Korean tinnitus handicap inventory (K-THI) score, pure tone audiogram (PTA) threshold, and CT findings before and a month after surgeries for these two techniques. The operation time was also analyzed. Results: In TRR cases, the K-THI score reduced from 55.0 ± 31.4 preoperatively to 4.0 ± 3.0 postoperatively, and the SSD was well-repositioned and covered by a bone chip postoperatively. In MRS cases, the K-THI score reduced from 41.0 ± 9.9 preoperatively to 15.0 ± 21.2 postoperatively, and the SSD was well-covered with bone cement postoperatively. The average surgical time of five TRR and two MRS cases were 77.5 ± 32.5 and 174.0 ± 75.0 min, respectively. No complications were noted. Conclusions: Despite the insufficient number of cases, we noted that TRR requires a reasonable amount of time, involves a smaller incision, and may provide favorable outcomes compared to conventional MRS in cases of pulsatile tinnitus associated with SSD. Level of evidence: IV.

Extended hemangioma from pharynx to esophagus that could be misdiagnosed as an esophageal varix on endoscopy.

Giant hemangioma in the neck and head is an uncommon vascular neoplasm and has an unpredictable clinical behavior. We report a hemangioma that extended from the pharynx to the esophagus that could have been misdiagnosed as an esophageal varix. A 42-year-old man with dilated varices-like vessels on his esophagus that were incidentally detected by endoscopy was referred to our hospital for further evaluation. On re-examined endoscopy, multiple vascular dilatations were noted in the pharynx, expanding into the esophagogastric junction. These dilatations looked like esophageal varices that are found in patients with liver cirrhosis. There was no significant abnormality, including liver cirrhosis, on the abdomino-pelvic computed tomography scan. On the endoscopic esophageal biopsy, dilatedsubmucosal blood vessels were diagnosed as hemangioma. In consultation with an otorhinolaryngologist for evaluation of the risk of hemangioma, it was determined that the hemangioma was not dangerous to the patient as long as it did not cause hoarseness, dyspnea or dysphagia. We planned regular 6-month follow ups. We report a case of extended hemangioma that could possibly have been misdiagnosed as an esophageal varix on endoscopy. Even if head and neck hemangioma is uncommon, careful consideration during endoscopy is required to avoid the misdiagnosis of varices or hemangioma.

A Study Prevalence of Congenital Rubella Syndrome Cases Before and After Rubella Vaccination Campaign.

Rubella is a vaccine-preventable disease and is the leading cause of congenital disabilities. This study was performed to identify the congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) patients before and after the Rubella Vaccination Campaign in the Outpatient Unit of the Audiology Department at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya. This was a descriptive study that used secondary data from a CRS surveillance case investigation form and medical records from 2015 to 2020 at Dr. Soetomo Hospital. A total of 346 suspected CRS cases were included in this study. According to the final classification, 145 (41.9%) patients had clinical CRS, 65 (18.8%) had confirmed CRS, and 136 (39.3%) had discarded CRS. The majority of the suspected cases were in the < 1-month age group (27.4%). Hearing loss was the most prevalent symptom in both the pre and post-rubella vaccination campaign (RVC) introduction periods campaign among groups. A patient with suspected CRS clinical signs.

Results of Eustachian tube balloon dilation measured using the nine-step test.

Suggested several decades ago, the nine-step test is an intuitive test of Eustachian tube function. However, studies employing the nine-step test to assess the results of Eustachian tube balloon dilation (EBD) are limited. We aimed to objectively evaluate the efficacy of EBD in opening failure patients with decreased maximal peak pressure difference (MPD) using the nine-step test. Patients who had MPD values ≤ 13 daPa in the nine-step test were enrolled. The patients were categorized into two groups according to treatment decisions after discussion with a clinician: an EBD group (N = 26) and a medication group (N = 30). One month after treatment, the seven-item Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ7) and the nine-step test were administered to all participants and subgroups of symptomatic participants (ETDQ7 > 15). MPD improved (increased) in both the EBD group and the medication group. ETDQ7 values improved (decreased) in the EBD group, but not in the medication group. In subgroup analysis, MPD and ETDQ7 values improved only in the symptomatic EBD group. According to the nine-step test, EBD can normalize 53.8% of decreased MPD. Posttreatment MPD and ETDQ7 scores were significantly better in the EBD group than in the medication group. However, EBD in patients with abnormal nine-step test results seemed less efficacious when the treatment results of the medication group were considered.

Screening for hearing loss using the electronic whisper test: A prospective cross-sectional study.

Background: Hearing screening is a method for early identification of hearing loss. Hearing screening is widely used in hospitals as part of physical examination. However, some of them are difficult to operate outside the hospitals regarding portability and user-friendliness. Therefore, we developed a simple yet easy-to-use portable electronic whisper test (EWT) for field deployment, particularly on many subjects. The EWT validity is a hearing screening method compared to pure-tone audiometry. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional comparative with a prospective approach. The subjects were outpatients at the Audiology Clinic of Dr. Soetomo Academic Medical Center, Surabaya, Indonesia, who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Statistical analysis made sensitivity and specificity tables using a 2 × 2 table, positive and negative predictive values. Results: Samples of 50 participants (100 ears) obtained a sensitivity value of 83%, specificity of 78%, positive predictive value of 45%, and negative predictive value of 95%. Conclusions: The EWT is valid for use as a hearing screening method.

Outcomes of Endoscopic Tympanoplasty for Large Perforations: A Multicenter Retrospective Study in South Korea.

OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic tympanoplasty (ET) provides minimally invasive transcanal access to the middle ear and improves middle ear visibility for the treatment of tympanic membrane (TM) perforations. However, the literature on surgical outcomes for large TM perforations is lacking and limited to small series. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical benefits of ET for large TM perforations. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at nine tertiary referral hospitals in South Korea, where 252 patients who underwent ET as primary surgery from September 2019 to August 2021 were included. The outcome measures included the graft success rate and pre- and postoperative audiometric data. RESULTS: In 239 patients, the graft success rate of ET for large or subtotal perforations was 86.2% (206 patients), while the graft failure rate was 13.8% (33 patients). The graft failure rate was directly correlated with surgical techniques, including overlay and medial or lateral underlay tympanoplasty (P=0.027). Lateral underlay tympanoplasty showed the most favorable. RESULTS: Sex, laterality, etiology, site and size of perforation, operation time, and graft materials did not vary significantly between the graft success and failure groups (P>0.05). The mean air-bone gap (ABG) improved significantly in both groups (graft success group: 10.0±0.6 dB and graft failure group: 7.7±0.3 dB; P<0.001). However, the ABG improvement did not significantly differ between the groups. Analysis of covariance revealed that the postoperative 500-Hz bone conduction threshold improved after successful ET (adjusted coefficient, -11.351; 95% confidence interval, -21.491 to -1.212; P=0.028). CONCLUSION: This study involved the largest population to date of large TM perforations treated by ET. The study findings suggest that ET is feasible and effective in treating large TM perforations.