Corticosteroid administration has been widely used as the empirical treatment for various inner ear diseases such as sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), Meniere disease, and autoimmune-induced hearing loss for a long time. After Sakata et al. [1] first tried intratympanic (IT) steroid injection to control Meniere disease, IT steroid injection treatment has been used as an alternative opti...

This case report describes the audiologic and medical diagnostic evaluations, results, and treatment options in a patient with a classic presentation of immune-mediated sensorineural hearing loss, commonly called autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED). It reviews findings of the basic battery, immittance audiometry, transient otoacoustic emissions, and auditory brainstem response measures and medi...

The clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of autoimmune inner ear disease are reviewed. Recent studies indicating an autoimmune etiology and pathogenesis are discussed, along with a comparative analysis of several promising new animal models. Further studies to define the natural history, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of the disease are suggested.

As endemic malaria is not commonly seen in the United States, most of the cases diagnosed and reported are associated with travel to and from the endemic places of malaria. As the number of imported cases of malaria has been increasing since 1973, it is important to look into these cases to study the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease in the United States. In this study, we wo...

HYPOTHESIS That a theoretical basis for quantifying drug distribution in the inner ear with local applications can be established. BACKGROUND As methods of local drug delivery to the inner ear gain wider clinical acceptance it becomes important to establish how drugs are distributed in the ear as a function of time and for different delivery methods. METHODS The time course of gentamicin co...

Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease (AIED) is a clinical syndrome of uncertain pathogenesis. It is associated with bilateral rapidly progressive hearing loss. The hearing loss may be associated with vestibular symptoms. Autoimmunity has been proposed as the pathogenesis of this sort of hearing loss, although the mechanism of the disease is poorly understood. It is well accepted that the endolymphatic ...

T-817MA (1-{3-[2-(1-benzothiophen-5-yl)ethoxy]propyl}azetidin-3-ol maleate), a neurotrophic compound newly synthesized for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, has been found to reduce oxidative stress and exert neuroprotective effects. By assessing the auditory functioning and observing the cochlear sensory epithelia, we investigated whether T-817MA protects the cochlea from inner ear barotra...

Sixty dropouts from hypertensive clinics were interviewed in depth to determine reasons for noncompliance. Waiting time and a poor doctor-patient relationship were the major reasons given. The average waiting time prior to examination by the doctor was 2.5 hours, and the average waiting time at the pharmacy was 1.8 hours. In contrast the average time spent with the doctor was 7.5 min. The poor ...

Sixty dropouts from hypertensive clinics were interviewed in depth to determine reasons for noncompliance. Waiting time and a poor doctor-patient relationship were the major reasons given. The average waiting time prior to examination by the doctor was 2.5 hours, and the average waiting time at the pharmacy was 1.8 hours. In contrast the average time spent with the doctor was 7.5 min. The poor ...

The inner ear is a structurally complex vertebrate organ built to encode sound, motion, and orientation in space. Given its complexity, it is not surprising that inner ear dysfunction is a relatively common consequence of human genetic mutation. Studies in model organisms suggest that many genes currently known to be associated with human hearing impairment are active during embryogenesis. Henc...