0000000000373802
AUTHOR
Gioacchino Martinciglio
VEMPs: applicazioni cliniche ed esperienza personale.
Aim. Among the various techniques to examine the functioning of the vestibular apparatus, the vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) represent a universally accepted methodical and offers significant clinical applications. Methods. The authors studied 93 patients (55 females, 38 males) from 22-83 years (medium age 52.5 years) with cocleovestibular sphere disturbances: deafness, tinnitus and vertigos. All the subjects underwent I and II level audiological examinations: history, clinical observation, tonal liminar audiometry, impedencemetry, acufenometry, clinical and instrumental vestibular exams, acoustics evoked potentials (ABR) and VEMPs. The subject were divided into groups accord…
The role of atopy in otitis media with effusion among primary school children: audiological investigation
The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of atopy in otitis media with effusion (OME) in children attending primary school in western Sicily focusing on the audiological characteristics among atopic and non-atopic subjects suffering from OME. A total of 310 children (5-6 years old) were screened by skin tests and divided into atopics (G1) and non-atopics (G2). The samples were evaluated for OME by pneumatic otoscopy, tympanogram and acoustic reflex tests. The parameters considered were: documented persistent middle ear effusion by otoscopic examination for a minimum of 3 months; presence of B or C tympanogram; absence of ipsilateral acoustic reflex and a conductive hearing loss …
Tubal function in divers and non-divers: case control study
Background. The aim of this study was to examine whether recurrent scuba diving during the time and frequent use of Valsalva’s manoeuvre while diving, increase functionality of divers’ Eustachian Tube (ET) comparison with non-divers. Methods. The study included 30 experienced divers (G1), mean age 25,8 years, who were diving from over 10 years. The control group consisted of 30 non-divers (G2), mean age 31,3 years. Each sample underwent clinical examination to identify predisposing conditions to middle ear barotraumas and ET dysfunction. ET function has been investigated by Inflation-Deflation test that shows baseline tympanogram, a second tympanogram shifted of the peak towards positive va…
Infarto acuto dell'AICA e sordità improvvisa
OBIETTIVI Gli autori descrivono un caso clinico, uomo adulto di 57 anni, di sordità improvvisa come sola manifestazione di infarto della arteria cerebellare antero‐inferiore (AICA) di destra in presenza di un quadro radiologico da interessamento della regione pontina di destra la cui valutazione radiologica, eseguita in urgenza ha permesso l’identificazione del quadro. MATERIALI Il colpo ischemico acuto nella distribuzione dell’AICA conosciuto come “Sindrome AICA” è un quadro clinico patologico che generalmente è accompagnato da una sintomatologia mista di tipo otologica e neurologica; si caratterizza infatti per: sordità improvvisa, vertigini di tipo periferiche e/o centrali da irritazione…
The point prevalence of otitis media with eVusion among primary school children in Western Sicily
The objective of this study is to identify the prevalence of otitis media with effusion (OME) in primary school children and to value the possible predisposing factors focusing on relationship between allergy and OME in Western Sicily. 2,097 children attending primary school were screened from September 2006 to June 2007 in Sciacca. Children underwent pneumatic otoscopy, skin tests, tympanogram and acoustic reflex tests. Audiogram was performed if the child had a type B or a type C tympanogram. The criteria for diagnosis of OME were: documented persistent middle ear effusion by otoscopic examination for a minimum of 3 months, presence of B or C tympanogram, absence of ipsilateral acoustic r…
Characteristics of tinnitus with or without hearing loss: Clinical observations in Sicilian tinnitus patients
Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of tinnitus both in normal hearing subjects and in patients with hearing loss. Methods: The study considered 312 tinnitus sufferers, 176 males and 136 females, ranging from 21 to 83 years of age, who were referred to the Audiology Section of the Department of Bio-technology of Palermo University. The following parameters were considered: age, sex, hearing threshold, tinnitus laterality, tinnitus duration, tinnitus measurements and subjective disturbance caused by tinnitus. The sample was divided into two groups: Group 1 (G1) subjects with normal hearing; Group 2 (G2) subjects with hearing loss. Results: Among the patients considered, 115 ha…
Tinnitus e ipertensione neurogena da conflitto neurovascolare: descrizione di un caso
The term neurovascular conflict (NVC) has been introduced to describe the anatomic situation where a nerve makes contact with a blood vessel, artery or vein, at the exit zone from the brain’s trunk. The NVC between the VIII nerve and a blood vessel is clinically associated with tinnitus, vertigo (disabling positional vertigo, DPV), and unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The blood vessels which most frequently make contact with the VIII nerve are the anterior-inferior cerebellar artery, then the posterior-inferior cerebellar artery and the basilar artery. The authors present an unusual case in which both vertebral arteries (one of which crosses the midline) create a NVC with left acousti…
Tinnitus e Sordità
OBIETTIVI Con il termine di "Acufene" o "Tinnitus" definiamo la percezione di un rumore in assenza di qualunque sorgente sonora esterna al nostro organismo. La presenza di acufeni aumenta progressivamente con l'età (12% dopo i 60 anni), e questo, secondo gli Autori, non è tanto correlato con la senescenza quanto con la concomitante sordità, la cui prevalenza aumenta con l'età. L'obiettivo di questo studio è quello di mettere in evidenza la correlazione fra il tipo di sordità e il tipo di acufene. MATERIALI Lo studio è stato condotto dalla Sezione di Audiologia del Dipartimento di Bio‐technologie dell'Università di Palermo su 197 soggetti affetti da acufene e sordità. I pazienti sono stati s…
Investigation of Tinnitus Patients in Italy: Clinical and Audiological Characteristics
Objective. 312 tinnitus sufferers were studied in order to analyze: the clinical characteristics of tinnitus; the presence of tinnitus-age correlation and tinnitus-hearing loss correlation; the impact of tinnitus on subjects' life and where possible the etiological/predisposing factors of tinnitus.Results. There is a slight predominance of males. The highest percentage of tinnitus results in the decades 61–70. Of the tinnitus sufferers, 197 (63.14%) have a hearing deficit (light hearing loss in 37.18% of cases). The hearing impairment results of sensorineural type in 74.62% and limited to the high frequencies in 58.50%. The tinnitus is referred as unilateral in 59.93%, a pure tone in 66.99%…
Assessing audiological, pathophysiological and psychological variables in tinnitus patients with or without hearing loss
The aim of this work is to study the characteristics of tinnitus both in normal hearing subjects and in patients with hearing loss. The study considered tinnitus sufferers, ranging from 21 to 83 years of age, who were referred to the Audiology Section of Palermo University in the years 2006–2008. The following parameters were considered: age, sex, hearing threshold, tinnitus laterality, tinnitus duration, tinnitus measurements and subjective disturbance caused by tinnitus. The sample was divided into Group1 (G1), 115 subjects with normal hearing, and Group2 (G2), 197 subjects with hearing loss. Especially for G2, there was a predominance of males compared to females (P = 0.011); the highest…