Otto H. Meurman

Local IgA-class antibodies against respiratory viruses in middle ear and nasopharyngeal secretions of children with secretory otitis media.

The presence of antibodies against some important respiratory viruses in the middle ear and nasopharyngeal secretions of 52 children with secretory otitis media (SOM) was investigated in order to find out about the role of these viruses in the development of SOM.The method employed was a sensitive radioimmunoassay test.

High-Tone Loss in Otosclerosis

The hearing loss in otosclerosis follows certain fairly typical lines. At the early stage the loss is often greatest at the low frequencies. According to the impedance formula of Johansen, this is due to stiffness of the ossicular chain. Later, when the stapes footplate has become fixed to the oval window, the audiograms show mass flattening; hearing now deteriorates also in the high-frequency range, the final result being a more or less even impairment throughout the auditory range. Yet, as we all know, audiograms indicating greater hearing loss in the high than in the low range are not infrequent in patients with otosclerosis. The air-bone gap—always great in these cases at the low frequencies—is reduced towards the high frequencies, and in some cases the air and bone audiograms may even unite. This results in a curve of mixed deafness type, attributed to a cochlear involvement complicating a purely conductive lesion.

Labyrinth Irritation after Otosclerosis Operations

The appearance of positional nystagmus was examined in 63 patients during the first postoperative week. In six cases nystagmus was found preoperatively, in 3 cases of these it disappeared in 7 days after the operation. In only 5 cases (7, 9%) nystagmus was not postoperatively registered. In all the others it existed in different forms and types. In 76% of the cases nystagmus decreased during the first 7 days.Positional nystagmus of Nylens type II was most frequent. Only in 3 cases nystagmus of Nylens type III was found. In most cases the type of nystagmus remaind unchanged until its disappearance.Only 2 patients had cochlear loss in the postoperative hearing, in one of them it confined to 4 000 cps, and in the other the ear became totally deaf. The latter case is reported more accurately, because in this case the patient had both Menieres disease and otosclerosis in the operated ear.The results show that the operative technique which was used, above all, the fascia interposition, does not lead to more ...

Endaural tympanic approach to the facial nerve.

Three cases of facial paralysis, operated upon by the author, are reported. Using the endaural approach, the tympanum was opened by turning the posterior part of the tympanic membrane medially. The facial nerve was exposed from above the oval window as far as the stylomastoid foramen, and the nerve sheath was split. The mastoid cell system was not opened. Healing was uneventful in all cases.

Do the Semicircular Canals Play a Part in Directional Hearing

Investigations dealing with directional hearing, i.e. the localization of sound, were published already in the 19th century but most studies on this subject appeared during the 1920′s. They were not very numerous and no complete agreement was reached regarding the factor determining the direction of the perceived sound. These studies were partly stimulated by the First World War. Recently this theme was again taken up by several authors at the First International Congress of Audiology at Leiden 1953.

Stapedius Muscle Reflex After Interposition Operations

The function of stapedius reflex was investigated by rising the indirect method of measuring acoustic impedance when the contra-lateral ear was stimulated with pure tones. The material consists of 12 patients and 14 operated ears. In all the cases an interposition was made and one or both of the crura of the stapes were placed on the fascia covering the window without opening the incudo-stapedial joint and without cutting the stapedius-tendon. A positive reflex was obtained for eight cars, at least at some frequencies. Totally negative results were obtained in six cases. The results show that a positive stapedius reflex is often possible after an otosclerosis operation in which the incudo-stapedial joint and the stapedius-tendon are left intact. The reflex may be negative even if hearing tests show that the ossicles are mobile and normal in their function.The results also indicate that the immobility of the incudo-stapedial joint and the way the stapes is fixed to the oval window are factors that influenc...

Modern Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and its Effect on Hearing

The authors have studied continuously the hearing of 389 patients treated for pulmonary tuberculosis. Audiograms have been taken every month during a longer period of time. In 3 1/2 per cent of the patients impairment of hearing could be followed. A more precise analysis of hearing loss will be given.

Über Die Behandlung Der Larynx- Und Trachea Verletzungen

Es werden 3 Falle mit Larynx- und Tracheaverletzungen beschrieben. 2 Patienten mit einem post traumatischen stenosierenden Prozess in Larynx und Trachea konnten durch eine Dauertubusbehandlung geheilt werden. Bei dem dritlen Palienten konnte eine vollig zerrissene Trachea durch primare Naht ohne Stenosierung wiederhergestellt werden.

Social hearing rehabilitation in Finland.

A survey of the social rehabilitation of hearing and an account of the role of the State and that of private associations in it are presented.