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Objective:To study the possible damage to the vestibular system in patients with post-mumps sensorineural hearing loss.Methods:Nineteen patients with recent mumps infection participated in the study. All patients had unilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss or total hearing loss. Patients were subjected to video-nystagmography and vestibular-evoked myogenic potential testing.Results:Eight patients (42.1 per cent) had normal video-nystagmography results and intact vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials on both sides, whereas the other 11 patients (57.9 per cent) had vestibular lesions in the form of marked canal weakness and absent vestibular-evoked myogenic potential responses on the same side as hearing loss. The overall findings indicated a peripheral site for the lesions.Conclusion:The majority of patients with post-mumps sensorineural hearing loss had peripheral vestibular pathology in the same ear as hearing loss. Further research should be directed to saving the inner ear following mumps infection. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective:To explore the role of the nine-step inflation/deflation tympanometric test and resting middle-ear pressure range as predictors of barotrauma in aircrew members.Methods:A prospective, non-randomised study was conducted on 100 aircrew members. Resting middle-ear pressure was measured and the nine-step inflation/deflation test performed on all subjects before flights. Subjects were allocated to two groups according to resting middle-ear pressure range (group A, within the range of +26 to +100 and −26 to −100 mmH2O; group B, −25 to +25 mmH2O). All aircrew members were assessed after flights regarding the presence and the grade of barotrauma.Results:In both groups, the sensitivity and specificity values of the entire post-inflation/deflation test were close to those of the post-deflation part of the test. The post-deflation test had a higher negative predictive value than the post-inflation test. Ears with resting middle-ear pressure lower than −55 mmH2O experienced barotrauma, regardless of good or poor post-inflation or post-deflation test results.Conclusion:In an aircrew member, a resting middle-ear pressure within the range of −55 and +50 mmH2O, together with good post-deflation test results, are considered reliable predictors for fitness to fly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]