Patients with tinnitus and normal hearing showed similar characteristics when compared to those with hearing loss. However, the age of the patients and the interference over concentration and emotional status were significantly lower in this group.

Palavras-chave: implante coclear, audição, cirurgia, limiar auditivo.

Pat ients with tinnitus and normal hearing constitute an important group, given that findings do not suffer influence of the hearing loss. However, this group is rarely studied, so we do not know whether its clinical characteristics and interference in daily life are the same of those of the patients with tinnitus and hearing loss. Aim: To compare tinnitus characteristics and interference in daily life among patients with and without hearing loss. Study design: historic cohort. Material and Method: Among 744 tinnitus patients seen at a Tinnitus Clinic, 55 with normal audiometry were retrospectively evaluated. The control group consisted of 198 patients with tinnitus and hearing loss, following the same protocol. We analyzed the patients' data as well as the tinnitus characteristics and interference in daily life. Results: The mean age of the studied group (43.1 ± 13.4 years) was significantly lower than that of the control group (49.9 ± 14.5 years). In both groups, tinnitus was predominant in women, bilateral, single tone and constant, but there were no differences between both groups. The interference in concentration and emotional status (25.5% and 36.4%) was significantly lower in the studied group than that of the control group (46% and 61.6%), but it did not happen in regard to interference over sleep and social life. Conclusions: Patients with tinnitus and normal hearing showed similar characteristics when compared to those with hearing loss. However, the age of the patients and the interference over concentration and emotional status were significantly lower in this group.

FORMA DE ESTUDO: Clínico prospectivo. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Os autores avaliam a prevalência de alterações metabólicas em 325 pacientes que procuraram o Setor de Otoneurologia do Hospital das Clínicas da FMUSP com queixas vestibulares. Os pacientes foram consecutivamente atendidos entre janeiro de 1997 e janeiro de 2002. Foram avaliados os primeiros exames referentes ao protocolo clássico de investigação das tonturas, que compreende a dosagem de LDL colesterol, TSH, T3 e T4 e glicemia de jejum. As alterações encontradas foram então comparadas às observadas na população geral. As alterações mais significativas encontradas foram a elevação dos níveis de LDL colesterol, a presença de níveis alterados de hormônios tireoideanos e a maior freqüência do diabetes mellitus na população estudada. CONCLUSÃO: Conclui-se que é válida a investigação destes dados, visto que são mais freqüentes na população de risco e que a correta abordagem dessas alterações melhora o prognóstico e o controle da tontura.

There are several controversial aspects to the management oftraumatleJacial para lysis. One ofthese involves the precise nature ofsurgical intervention once the decision to operate has been made. Between Jun e 1, 1984, and June 30, 1993, we surgically treated 220 cases of traumatic facial paralysis with good cochlear reserve by decompressing the tympanic and mastoid segments via a transmastoid approach fo llowed by decompression ofthe geniculate ganglion and the distal halfofthe labyrin thine segment via a middlef ossa approach. We discuss the results of surgery via the middleJossa approach, and we review the literature.

Here we define a ~200 Kb genomic duplication in 2p14 as the genetic signature that segregates with postlingual progressive sensorineural autosomal dominant hearing loss (HL) in 20 affected individuals from the DFNA58 family, first reported in 2009. The duplication includes two entire genes, PLEK and CNRIP1, and the first exon of PPP3R1 (protein coding), in addition to four uncharacterized long non-coding (lnc) RNA genes and part of a novel protein-coding gene. Quantitative analysis of mRNA expression in blood samples revealed selective overexpression of CNRIP1 and of two lncRNA genes (LOC107985892 and LOC102724389) in all affected members tested, but not in unaffected ones. Qualitative analysis of mRNA expression identified also fusion transcripts involving parts of PPP3R1, CNRIP1 and an intergenic region between PLEK and CNRIP1, in the blood of all carriers of the duplication, but were heterogeneous in nature. By in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence, we showed that Cnrip1, Plek and Ppp3r1 genes are all expressed in the adult mouse cochlea including the spiral ganglion neurons, suggesting changes in expression levels of these genes in the hearing organ could underlie the DFNA58 form of deafness. Our study highlights the value of studying rare genomic events leading to HL, such as copy number variations. Further studies will be required to determine which of these genes, either coding proteins or non-coding RNAs, is or are responsible for DFNA58 HL.

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The symptoms of central facial paralysis, in which paralysis only of voluntary movements of the lower two-thirds of the face is expected, occurred in the minority of the patients.