Tamer Erdem

Effects of the Electromagnetic Field of Mobile Telephones on Hearing

The widespread use of mobile telephones has given rise to concern about the potential influences of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on human health. Anatomically, the ear is in close proximity to the mobile telephone during use. Hearing loss due to mobile telephone use has not been described in the medical literature; however, if there is a subtle cochlear involvement, it might be detected by means of changes in evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). Thirty volunteers with normal hearing were exposed to mobile telephone EMFs for 10 min and evoked OAEs were measured before and after exposure. No measurable change in evoked OAEs was detected and none of the subjects reported a deterioration in hearing level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the effects of EMFs emitted by mobile telephones on hearing. It was concluded that a 10-min exposure to the EMF emitted from a mobile telephone had no effect on hearing, at least at outer ear, middle ear and cochlear levels.

Diffusion‐weighted images differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules

To reveal the possible role of diffusion‐weighted images (DWI) in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules by comparing the results of fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).

Effects of chronic exposure of electromagnetic fields from mobile phones on hearing in rats

OBJECTIVE Little attention has been paid to the effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) of mobile phones on hearing. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to EMF emitting from mobile phones on the inner ear of adult and developing rats using distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). METHODS EMF of mobile phones exposure was scheduled according to a sham-exposure controlled experimental design. Every day seven of 14 adult and four newborn rats were exposed to 1-h mobile phone EMF for 30 days, while the other seven adult rats were assigned to control group. DPOAEs were measured in both groups before and after the chronic exposure to EMF. The newborn rats were tested following similar exposure beginning on the 2nd day after birth. RESULTS No measurable EMF associated changes in DPOAEs either in adult or developing rat inner ears were determined (P>0.05). CONCLUSION It was concluded that chronic exposure of EMF, as long as 30 days 1 h per day, emitting from a mobile phone did not cause any hearing deterioration in adult and developing rats, at least at outer and middle ear and cochlear levels.

Contralateral Normal Ear after Mastoid Surgery: Evaluation by Otoacoustic Emissions (Mastoid Drilling and Hearing Loss)

Mastoid drilling can cause transient hearing loss in the contralateral normal hearing ear. A study was designed to evaluate hearing in the contralateral normal ear before and after the mastoid surgery in a longitudinal manner and find out the duration of this temporary hearing loss. Twenty-two patients requiring mastoid surgery in their diseased ears, having contralateral normal ear were included. Pure tone audiometry and otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) were utilized for baseline evaluation. OAEs were repeated during the immediate postoperative period and daily up to the 6th postoperative day. The amplitudes of the OAEs of contralateral normal ears were found affected immediately after surgery and progressive improvement was detected with full recovery at 72–96 h. None of the patients had permanent deterioration in OAE amplitudes. The burs used during mastoid surgery can cause temporary hearing threshold changes in the contralateral ears. This adverse effect recovers spontaneously within 72–96 h postoperatively.

Objective evaluation of the effects of intravenous lidocaine on tinnitus.

OBJECTIVE Tinnitus is one of the most common and distressing otological symptoms. Although numerous therapeutic modalities have been tried, there is no consensus regarding effective therapeutic agents up to now. The effects of lidocaine on tinnitus have been reported in literature using either subjective or audiologic tests. Nevertheless, the otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) have not been utilized to demonstrate lidocaines effect on the cochlea in the English literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lidocaine on tinnitus by considering the alterations with tinnitus, it induces on OAEs and subjective symptoms. METHODS This study was performed in 30 patients with tinnitus. Twenty-eight of the patients had normal hearing and two of them evidenced mild sensorineural hearing loss. To determine the severity of tinnitus, the patients were required to fill out a tinnitus scoring scale before lidocaine infusion on the same day. Then, lidocaine was administered intravenously to each patient at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg body weight over a period of 30 min. Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured three times; namely before lidocaine injection, at 25 min after injection and on the next day. The severity of tinnitus was scored again 1 d, 1 wk and 1 mo after lidocaine administration. RESULTS Immediately after infusion, four patients (13.3%) declared total suppression of tinnitus, whereas three patients (10%) reported only partial relief in tinnitus subjectively. The patients, who had a subjective improved response (group 1) were compared with the patients, who had no response (group 2). Statistically significant changes (p<0.05) in DPOAE response/growth or input/output (I/O) functions were observed at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 kHz frequencies in lidocaine responders and at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 kHz frequencies in no responders at different primary stimulus levels. Statistically significant changes (p<0.05) were seen at 2 kHz for 53 dB and at 3 kHz for 62 dB SPL primaries in both groups. When the significant results of these two groups were compared with each other, differences were found insignificant. CONCLUSION Systematic OAE measurements revealed that no changes occurred in SOAE and DPOAE levels in that alterations disappeared the next day. Subjective relief from tinnitus was stated in some of the patients and lasted for 4 wk at longest.

Endoscopic removal technique of a huge ethmoido-orbital osteoma.

Osteomas are slow-growing benign tumors of the paranasal sinuses. They originate from the sinus wall and generally fills the sinus cavity. Many osteomas are asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally on radiographs. The well-circumscribed, dense bony appearance on radiographs is usually diagnostic. Osteomas become symptomatic when they extend to the orbit or cranium. We report a rare case of ethmoido-orbital osteoma. Case reports and a review of the literature concerning osteoma and surgical techniques are presented. Treatment is not recommended in asymptomatic osteomas. If treatment is indicated, external or endoscopic approach can be chosen. The choice of surgical approach depends on the size of the lesion, location, and the experience of the surgeon.

Amikacin ototoxicity enhanced by Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761)

An animal study was realized to investigate the possible beneficial effect of EGb 761 as an antioxidant agent on amikacin ototoxicity by measuring distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Twenty-eight adult rats were grouped equally as follows. GROUP AMIKACIN: rats received amikacin 600 mg/kg/day intramuscularly between postnatal days (PND) 30 and PND44. Group amikacin/EGb 761: rats received amikacin 600 mg/kg/day intramuscularly between PND30 and PND44 and EGb 761 100 mg/kg/day orally between PND30 and PND50. Group EGb 761: rats received equivolume saline intramuscularly between PND30 and PND44 and EGb 761 100 mg/kg/day orally between PND30 and PND50. NO TREATMENT GROUP: rats received nothing. Group amikacin was found to be affected only on the last measurement day of study (PND57). The frequencies greater than 2002 Hz were significantly reduced compared with the amplitudes of PND30 (P<0.05). Group amikacin/EGb 761 was most and earliest affected by amikacin-induced ototoxicity. DPOAE amplitudes were found in this group to be decreased at 2-6 kHz starting on PND50. The results of Group EGb 761 and No treatment group were not significantly changed. For the DPOAE input/output amplitude thresholds, Group amikacin (P<0.05) and Group amikacin/EGb 761 (P<0.01) had significantly elevated thresholds on PND57, except at 5 kHz for Group amikacin (P=0,06). According to the results of the study, EGb 761 may be regarded as a facilitating drug for the development of amikacin ototoxicity. The results of the present study may warn against concomitant use of aminoglycosides, specifically amikacin, with EGb 761.

Autoclaving the ossicles provides safe autografts in cholesteatoma

OBJECTIVE The choice of the graft in ossicular chain reconstruction during middle ear surgery for cholesteatoma is a subject still discussed on. In order to clarify the discussion of reuse of the autologous ossicles obtained during middle ear surgery for cholesteatoma, we evaluated the probability of residual disease histologically and the safety of the ossicles after autoclavization, the most promoting alternative method to eradicate residual cholesteatoma and infection on them. METHODS The specimens used in this study were eroded twenty-seven ossicles (22 incuses, 5 malleoli) which were removed from the 27 consecutive patients operated because of cholesteatomatous middle ear disease. They were grouped as follows: Group 1, Fifteen ossicles examined histopathologically directly. Group 2, Five ossicles autoclaved for 20 min at 134 degrees C and then examined histopathologically. Group 3, Five ossicles autoclaved for 20 min at 134 degrees C after mechanical surface cleaning by a fine diamond drill, examined histopathologically. Group 4, Two ossicles removed from two different patients were placed in their mastoid cavities in order to be examined after access in the second-look operation. While one ossicle was only autoclaved, the other was mechanically cleaned by a drill before autoclavization (for 20 min at 134 degrees C). The ossicles were examined histopathologically after the removal at the second stage operation performed 12 months later. RESULTS In Group 1, all ossicles showed evidence of periosteal thickening. Additional findings were surface cholesteatoma or epithelia in 13 ossicles, surface inflammation in 12 ossicles, granulation tissue in 10 ossicles, osteitis in six ossicles. In Group 2, all five ossicles had preserved their lamellar structure but, no vital cells were seen. The lacunes that had the osteocytes was almost completely empty. The inflammatory cells were eliminated from the ossicles. In Group 3, ossicles were found well preserved with their lamellar structures and contours, with empty lacunes and eliminated inflammatory cells. In Group 4, in two ossicles of this group the lacunes were replaced by the new migrated viable osteocytes with evidence of new bone formation and neovascularisation. No new inflammatory focus or epithelia were found on the surfaces of the ossicles. The shape and the contour of the ossicles remained unchanged. CONCLUSION In cholesteatoma surgery, ossicles with minimal erosion and adequate thickness can be used after autoclavization. In this study, it was observed histopathologically that the autoclaving autologous ossicles before ossiculoplasty in cholesteatomatous middle ear is a safe and reliable method.

Nasal pyriform aperture stenosis in adults

Background Congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis (CNPAS) leading to respiratory insufficiency in infants has been well documented. Nevertheless, the nasal pyriform aperture stenosis (NPAS) entity in adulthood has not been discussed at all. The normative data of the width of the pyriform aperture, which has not been revealed before, is necessary for evaluation of the adult subjects with nasal bony inlet stenosis. The aim of this study was to define the normative data about the pyriform aperture width measured in 80 adult subjects with paranasal sinus symptoms without nasal obstruction and, additionally, to report the surgical results of two representative cases with NPAS. Methods The nasal bony inlet width measurements have been achieved in axial computerized tomographic sections to establish normative data. The maximal distance between the nasal processes of the opposite maxillary bones was measured. Two adult males complaining of nasal obstruction with overt pyriform aperture stenosis were treated surgically via a sublabial approach. Results The mean widest dimension of the nasal pyriform aperture was 21.6 6 2.2 mm (range, 17–27 mm) in 80 adult subjects. This width was 21.9 6 2.1 mm (range 18–27 mm) in men and 21 6 2.2 mm (range, 17–26 mm) in women. Stenotic pyriform apertures in two patients were widened surgically by drilling via a sublabial approach from 12 and 10 mm to 24 and 21 mm, respectively. Conclusion NPAS should be included in the list of differential diagnosis for nasal obstruction. Surgical enlargement using a sublabial approach was found an effective and adequate treatment in pyriform aperture stenosis.

The effects of the chorda tympani damage on submandibular glands: biometric changes

OBJECTIVE It was aimed to analyze the biometric changes in ipsilateral submandibular glands of patients with unilateral chorda tympani (ChT) section during otological operations, compared with change in size of the contralateral glands and with those of healthy subjects. METHODS 29 patients with unilateral complete ChT section and 29 healthy subjects with identical ages, genders, and weights to the patient group were examined ultrasonographically. The patients having a mean duration to follow-up examination of 32 months (2-84 months) were subdivided into two groups by their time to follow-up as short-term patient group (2-12 months, 14 patients) and long-term patient group (13-84 months, 15 patients). The ultrasonographic dimensions and volumes of submandibular glands were compared statistically between the groups. RESULTS In the patient group, the glands on the contralateral, non-operated side were found to be greater than the ipsilateral, denervated glands in terms of both paramandibular depth dimension (P<0.05) and volume (P<0.01). The differences could be determined only in long-term patient group. When comparing the submandibular glands of the patient group with those of the control group, it was found that paramandibular depth dimension and volume of the submandibular glands on the contralateral, non-operated side were statistically greater (P<0.01). There was no difference between submandibular glands on the operated side of the patient group and those of the control group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The late (13-84 months) biometric results of ChT damage on submandibular gland were significant for increase in the size of the contralateral, non-denervated submandibular gland. An atrophying effect was not ascertained in the submandibular glands denervated parasympathetically due to the section of the ChT.