The Risk of BPPV, Meniere's Disease, and Vestibular Neuronitis in Patients with Gout: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study Using a National Health Screening Cohort.

This study evaluated the impact of pre-existing gout on the occurrence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere’s disease, and vestibular neuronitis, with the goal of identifying novel associations of gout with other comorbid diseases. The 2002−2019 Korean National Health Insurance Service Health Screening Cohort data were retrospectively analyzed. 23,827 patients with gout were matched to 95,268 controls without gout for age, sex, income, region of residence, and index date.

Association between Osteoporosis and Meniere's Disease: Two Longitudinal Follow-Up Cohort Studies.

A high rate of Meniere's disease (MD) in patients with osteoporosis has been suggested. This research intended to estimate the bidirectional association of MD with osteoporosis. The ≥40-year-old population in the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort 2002-2019 was examined.

The Reciprocal Relationship between Osteoporosis and Renal Stones.

Previous studies have proposed an association between osteoporosis and renal stones. The current analyses intended to investigate the bidirectional relationship between osteoporosis and renal stones. The ≥40-year-old population in the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening cohort (2002-2015) was analyzed.

Changes in Otorhinolaryngologic Disease Incidences before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea.

This study aimed to investigate the change in the incidence and variance of otorhinolaryngologic diseases during the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. The entire Korean population (~50 million) was evaluated for the monthly incidence of 11 common otorhinolaryngologic diseases of upper respiratory infection (URI), influenza, acute tonsillitis, peritonsillar abscess, retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscess, acute laryngitis and bronchitis, stomatitis and related lesions, acute sinusitis, rhinitis, otitis media, and dizziness from January 2018 through March 2021 using the International Classification of Disease (ICD)-10 codes with the data of the Korea National Health Insurance Service. The differences in the mean incidence of 11 common otorhinolaryngologic diseases before and during COVID-19 were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test.

Thyroid Cancer and Psoriasis: A Nested Case-Control Study.

Previous researchers have suggested an elevated risk of thyroid cancer (TC) in patients with psoriasis with mixed results. The current study evaluated the relationship of psoriasis with the risk of TC in an adult population. The data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service—Health Screening Cohort ≥ 40 years old were analyzed.

Smoking Is Positively Related and Alcohol Consumption Is Negatively Related to an Increased Risk of Meniere's Disease.

A few prior researchers presumed the impacts of smoking and alcohol on the risk of Meniere’s disease (MD). This study investigated the relationship between smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity with Meniere’s disease in an adult population. The ≥40-year-old population in the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort 2002−2019 was analyzed.

Effectiveness of Intratympanic Dexamethasone Injection for Tinnitus Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Intratympanic dexamethasone injection (ITDI) has been introduced as a treatment option for subjective tinnitus. However, the effects of ITDI on patients with tinnitus remain unclear. In the present systematic review and metaanalysis, we evaluated the effectiveness of ITDI for tinnitus treatment.

Development and Characterization of a Biomimetic Totally Implantable Artificial Basilar Membrane System.

Cochlear implants (CIs) have become the standard treatment for severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. Conventional CIs have some challenges, such as the use of extracorporeal devices, and high power consumption for frequency analysis. To overcome these, artificial basilar membranes (ABMs) made of piezoelectric materials have been studied.

Comparison of endoscopic and microscopic ear surgery in pediatric patients: A meta-analysis.

Objectives: Recently, the endoscope has been increasingly introduced for middle-ear surgery. To evaluate the postoperative outcomes of endoscopic ear surgery (EES) in pediatric patients, we did a qualitative analysis with a systematic review and quantitative analysis with meta-analysis of available literature.

Methods: Studies reporting the comparative surgical outcomes of EES in pediatric patients were systematically reviewed by searching the MEDLINE, PubMed, and Embase databases from database inception through 2017.

Does the Width of the Bony Cochlear Nerve Canal Predict the Outcomes of Cochlear Implantation?

A narrow bony cochlear nerve canal (BCNC) is associated with sensorineural hearing loss necessitating cochlear implantation (CI). This study evaluated the implications of BCNC width for post-CI outcomes. A total of 56 children who had received CIs were included.

Cochlear Damage Caused by the Striking Noise of Titanium Head Golf Driver.

Objectives: To investigate how mouse cochleae are affected by the striking noise of titanium head golf driver.

Methods: Thirty-two BALB/c mice (20-22 g) with normal hearing were used. The impact acoustic stimulus generated by the striking of titanium golf driver head was centered around 4.

Management of myringitis: Current concepts and review.

Objectives: This study reviews the proposed mechanisms underlying the development of myringitis and suggests optimal guidelines for the successful treatment and prevention of recurrence through a literature review.

Review Methods: Studies reporting the treatment outcomes of myringitis were systematically reviewed by searching the MEDLINE, PubMed, and Embase databases for studies published from 2000 to 2017. The search for myringitis yielded 57 results, and 31 were found to be relevant.

The Analysis of A Frequent TMPRSS3 Allele Containing P.V116M and P.V291L in A Cis Configuration among Deaf Koreans.

We performed targeted re-sequencing to identify the genetic etiology of early-onset postlingual deafness and encountered a frequent allele harboring two variants in a cis configuration. We aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of the allele. Among 88 cochlear implantees with autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss, subjects with and mutations were excluded.

Corrigendum: Determinants of Conductive Hearing Loss in Tympanic Membrane Perforation: Correction of the Sixth Author Name.

[This corrects the article on p. 92 in vol. 8, PMID: 26045905.

Determinants of conductive hearing loss in tympanic membrane perforation.

Objectives: Tympanic membrane perforations are common, but there have been few studies of the factors determining the extent of the resulting conductive hearing loss. The aims of this study were to determine whether the size of tympanic membrane perforation, pneumatization of middle ear & mastoid cavity, and location of perforation were correlated with air-bone gap (ABG) of patients.

Methods: Forty-two patients who underwent tympanoplasty type I or myringoplasty were included and preoperative audiometry were analyzed.

A Case of Post-Traumatic Meniere's Disease.

There are only a few reports of post-traumatic Meniere's disease and there is few literature that contains detailed data associated with the disease. We report a case of post-traumatic Meniere's disease. He suffered from tinnitus, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, and recurrent vertigo.

De novo large genomic deletions involving POU3F4 in incomplete partition type III inner ear anomaly in East Asian populations and implications for genetic counseling.

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the prevalence and molecular genetic etiology of incomplete partition type III (IP type III) anomaly in Koreans. We also attempted to verify the prevalence of genomic deletions in the DFNX2 locus and to look for association between inheritance patterns and mutation type in East Asian IP type III subjects.

Study Design: Retrospective case review.

A novel mutation of TMPRSS3 related to milder auditory phenotype in Korean postlingual deafness: a possible future implication for a personalized auditory rehabilitation.

Unlabelled: Appropriate customized auditory rehabilitation for hearing impaired subjects requires prediction of residual hearing and progression of hearing loss. Mutations in TMPRSS3 encoding a transmembrane serine protease were reported to be associated with two different autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (arNSHL) phenotypes, DFNB8 and DFNB10, in terms of residual hearing that may mandate different rehabilitation. We aimed to reveal the genetic contribution of TMPRSS3 mutations among Korean populations and to correlate the clinical phenotype with TMPRSS3 genotypes.

Optimal ossicular site for maximal vibration transmissions to coupled transducers.

Totally implantable middle-ear prosthetic devices, such as the Esteem system (Envoy Medical Corporation), detect vibrational motion of the middle-ear ossicles rather than acoustic stimulation to the eardrum. This eliminates the need for a subcutaneous microphone, which is susceptible to interference by ambient noises. Study of the vibrational characteristics of the human ossicles provides valuable information for determining the site of maximum ossicular motion that would be optimal for attachment of the sensor portion of the prosthesis.