Objective
The aim of the present study was to evaluate hearing loss in patients diagnosed with SSc (systemic sclerosis) and to investigate the relation between hearing loss, subtypes of the disease, its duration and clinical findings, and antibody positivity.
Methods
The study included 47 patients with SSc and 44 healthy controls. Audiometric, tympanometric and otoacoustic emission measurements were applied to both groups.
Results
The evaluation of the participants medical history showed that among the patients with SSc, 19.1% experienced ear fullness, 27.7% experienced vertigo and 36.2% experienced tinnitus. Hearing loss was detected in 23.4% of the patients with SSc. The corresponding result was 4.3% in the control group with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001). Transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) amplitude values were significantly lower in the patients both ears with SSc than the control group (p < 0.005). Duration of disease was significantly longer and DLCO (diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide) values were significantly higher in the patients with SSc and sensorineural hearing loss.
Conclusions
The present study found that the incidence of hearing loss was significantly higher in the study group than healthy control group. In addition to other organ involvements, cochlear involvement occurs in these patients, and further studies are required.
Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the association between antiphospholipid antibodies and non-thrombotic and non-gestational manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods Systemic lupus erythematosus patients with persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies or lupus anticoagulant were identified and grouped as systemic lupus erythematosus with antiphospholipid syndrome (SLE-APS), systemic lupus erythematosus with positive antiphospholipid antibodies/lupus anticoagulant without antiphospholipid syndrome (SLE-aPL), and systemic lupus erythematosus with negative aPLs (SLE-No aPL). Groups were compared in terms of non-thrombotic systemic lupus erythematosus manifestations and laboratory features retrospectively. Results A total of 150 systemic lupus erythematosus patients, 26 with SLE-APS, 25 with SLE-aPL, and 99 with SLE-No aPL, were identified. Livedo reticularis, neurologic involvement, and thrombocytopenia were more common in antiphospholipid antibody positive systemic lupus erythematosus cases. Malar rash, arthritis, and pleuritis were more common in the SLE-No aPL, SLE-APS, and SLE-aPL groups, respectively. Positivity rates and titers of specific antiphospholipid antibodies did not differ between the SLE-APS and SLE-aPL groups. Conclusions Presence of antiphospholipid syndrome or persistent antiphospholipid antibodies may be related to non-thrombotic and non-gestational systemic lupus erythematosus manifestations. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus plus antiphospholipid syndrome and persistent antiphospholipid antibodies without antiphospholipid syndrome also differ in terms of systemic lupus erythematosus manifestations.
Aim: To determine the distribution of cerebral lateral ventricular atrium width (LVAW) as established according to gestational weeks, and calculate the criterion value of LVAW that differentiates normal fetuses from abnormal fetuses. Materials and Methods: A total of 832 patients meeting the study's criteria were included in the control group. An additional 43 fetuses with LVAW > ten mm formed the case group. Results: The criterion value of LVAW was 9.7 mm. It did not change significantly throughout gestation. In the case group, 23 fetuses were terminated for fetal abnormalities, two fetuses died in utero, and 18 infants were born alive. Most of the abnormal development coincided with LVAW values greater than 12 mm. Conclusion: The authors suggest 9.7 mm as the criterion value, based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. When the LVAW is between 9.8 and 12 mm without other fetal abnormalities, it may be regarded as a variation of the normal.
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