Inseok Moon

BACKGROUND: We aim to provide useful evidence about the association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) and its possibility of emerging as a cheap, reliable, and independent prognostic marker of ISSNHL. METHODS: 348 patients diagnosed with ISSNHL were included in our retrospective data analysis. Blood samples and the hearing assessments of the patients were carried out. Then, the patients were d

Quality of life is higher after microsurgery than after radiosurgery. One specific management strategy cannot always guarantee the better quality of life. The functional status and personality traits of the patient should be considered, as well as tumor size and location when choosing a management option.

Intratympanic dexamethasone administration after failure of an initial treatment is effective, and this should be used as a salvage treatment in cases of refractory SHL.

BACKGROUND: Noise-induced hearing loss is a preventive disease and yet the effective treatment modality has not been established. Acute acoustic traumas caused by an exposure to gunshot noise are common in young South Korean males in military service. Considering the significant lack of awareness on this serious issue as well as the absence of proper protective gear, an in-depth analysis is desperately needed. METHOD: All 3650 soldiers performed regular periodic gunfire exercise without any hear

OBJECTIVE: For tympanoplasty, the most common grafting materials are the temporalis fascia or perichondrium; however, both require incision of the canal skin, which carries a risk of morbidity and the need for postoperative care. Inlay butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty, by which the perforation edges are refreshed and a cartilage is inserted through the perforation without canal incision, makes the graft easy, and reduces operating and recovery time. We analyze the outcome of inlay butterfly car

Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) grow in the region where the energy from mobile phone use is absorbed. We examined the associations of VSs with mobile phone use. This study included 119 patients who had undergone surgical tumor removal. We used two approaches in this investigation. First, a case-control study for the association of mobile phone use and incidence of VSs was conducted. Both cases and controls were investigated with questions based on INTERPHONE guidelines. Amount of mobile phone use

CONCLUSION: Patients with post-lingual deafness should not be excluded from cochlear implantation (CI) on the basis of duration of deafness. We found that the prognosis was favorable in patients who developed deafness after adolescence, even in those with extremely long-term deafness. OBJECTIVES: CI is an effective treatment for post-lingual deafness. However, it remains unclear whether CI would benefit patients with extremely long-term deafness. We evaluated the auditory performance after CI of

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of intratympanic dexamethasone injection (ITDI) in acute tinnitus of presumed cochlear origin. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, multicenter study. METHODS: Between August 2013 and December 2015, 54 patients with unilateral tinnitus were enrolled at four different centers. Patients were assigned either to an ITDI (n = 27) or an intratympanic normal saline injection (ITNI; n = 27)

One of the major occupational hazards of working in military service is being subjected to intense impulse noise. We analyzed the clinical presentation of acoustic traumas, induced by mass rifle gunshot noise during military training, in unprotected patients. We evaluated 189 soldiers who had otologic symptoms after rifle shooting exercises without using any hearing protection. All soldiers had been training on the K2 rifle. We took medical histories; conducted physical examinations and hearing

Overall, nine of 14 (64.3%) patients had favorable facial outcomes, and eight of 14 (57.1%) had favorable tongue outcomes. Regarding facial palsy, five of seven (71.4%) end-to-end, three of four (75%) split, and only one of three (33.3%) end-to-side patients had favorable facial function. Regarding tongue atrophy, all three (100%) end-to-side, three of four (75%) split, and two of seven (28.6%) end-to-end patients had favorable tongue outcomes. The effects of tumor volume and time to surgery on

Daily application of 1-Hz rTMS to the temporoparietal area is safe and has long-term beneficial effects. The laterality of stimulation is not the decisive factor.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive method of activating or deactivating focal areas of the human brain. Repetitive TMS (rTMS) applied over the temporoparietal cortex has been reported to show therapeutic effects on tinnitus. We compared the effects of 1 Hz rTMS delivered either contralaterally or ipsilaterally to the symptomatic ear in patients with unilateral tinnitus. Forty patients with asymmetric hearing loss and non-pulsatile tinnitus localized to poorer ear of 6 month