Hearing loss in Turner syndrome: results of a multicentric study.

Unlabelled: The purpose of this article was to evaluate otological diseases in 173 patients (pts) with Turner syndrome (TS).

Study Design: One hundred and seventy-three pts, mean chronological age (CA) 12+/-6.2 yr.

Comparative evaluation of ABR abnormalities in patients with and without neurinoma of VIII cranial nerve.

Although the diagnostic reliability of auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in acoustic neuromas has been revised due to its poor sensitivity (demonstrated above all in smaller tumours), and its limited specificity, this method is still used as the initial otoneurological approach. To contribute to the clinical use of this method, in particular with the aim of reducing the number of false positives, a retrospective study was carried out in two groups of patients affected by unilateral sensorineural hearing loss with auditory brainstem response abnormalities: in the first group (50 cases: true positives) hearing loss was the expression of an acoustic neuroma shown by magnetic resonance imaging, in the second group (130: false positives) magnetic resonance imaging was negative. In both groups, auditory brainstem response recordings showed abnormalities suggesting retro-cochlear disorders such as: (1) complete absence of response not justified by the extent of the hearing loss, (2) presence of only wave I, (3) increase in wave V absolute latency with normal I-V interpeak latency, (4) increase in wave V absolute latency, the sole component, 5) increase in wave V absolute latency and I-V interpeak latency.

[Computerized stabilometry in the monitoring of antiepileptic therapy in children].

Computerized stabilometry is an useful test to monitor postural effects of anticonvulsant therapy in adults. Our study was carried out on 65 epileptic children: 51 were treated with CBZ or PHT or VPA or PB in monotherapy, and 14 were not on therapy, in the aim to observe abnormalities of postural control in pediatric population. Computerized stabilometry has to be considered auxiliary monitoring to evaluate toxic effect of anticonvulsant therapy in children.