Both sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss are common in Wegener's granulomatosis, may result in significant morbidity, and may precede the diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis by years. Both types of hearing loss in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis may be used as an indicator of disease. These data suggest that it may be appropriate to obtain screening audiograms in all patients with newly diagnosed or relapsing Wegener's granulomatosis.

No abstract

There is growing interest in the application of auditory brainstem response (ABR) audiometry for hearing assessment in dogs. The technique is far from standardised, however, resulting in large discrepancies between studies. This study aimed to obtain normative data, under clearly defined conditions, for two breeds of significantly different size; head size being a potential factor determining ABR latency values. The subjects, 20 dalmatians and 20 Jack Russell terriers, were sedated prior to ABR testing, and subcutaneous scalp electrodes used to detect the evoked potential elicited by a click stimulus presented via insert earphones. The mean ABR thresholds for the two breeds, 0 and -5 decibels re normal hearing level (dB nHL), respectively, were very similar to those for humans. The latency values of the main ABR waves and the interval between them were statistically significantly smaller for the smaller breed, but there was no correlation with head size within either breed. The results provide a baseline to assist with confirmation of hearing impairment and neuro-otological diagnosis in the dog.