Objective: This study investigated the effect, onset, duration of action, and short-term outcomes of acupuncture therapy for treating patients with severe chronic subjective tinnitus. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial evaluated patients with chronic, idiopathic, and severe tinnitus. A total of 105 participants were divided into 2 groups using a randomization method: a study group who received verum acupuncture therapy (n = 53) and a sham acupuncture group (n = 52). Ten acupuncture sessions were given over 5 weeks. After treatment, each participant was monitored for up to 3 months according to changes on a visual analogue Scale (VAS), and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and Pure-Tone Audiometry and Speech Discrimination (Interacoustics AC-40, Denmark) scores. Results: The VAS and THI scores were evaluated. A statistically significant difference was noted between the sham and verum acupuncture groups at post-treatment follow-up (P < 0.001). Decreases in the THI and VAS scores became significant in the second week of treatment (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively), but these scores increased again in the third month post-treatment (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Acupuncture is an effective treatment for patients with severe chronic subjective tinnitus. Patient complaints, decreased beginning at the second treatment week; however, in the third post-treatment month, the complaints reappeared. Maintenance acupuncture therapy is necessary for patients with tinnitus; this approach should be investigated in future studies.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the success of type 1 tympanoplasty in pediatric patients with chronic otitis media, and to evaluate the prognostic factors that may influence its success.Materials and methodsMedical records of 102 children aged between 8 and 18 years (46 female, 56 male) who underwent type 1 tympanoplasty for chronic tympanic membrane perforation between January 2010 and July 2017 were reviewed. Age, gender, condition of contralateral ear (unilateral, bilateral), type (central, marginal) and location of perforation (anterior, posterior, inferior), graft material (fascia, cartilage), pre- and post-operative hearing levels, mean air-bone gap (ABG), surgical approach (postauricular, endaural) and length of follow up were recorded.ResultsAnatomical and functional success (ABG < 20 dBHL) rates were 86.3% (88 patients) and 74.5% (76 patients) after a mean follow-up of 32 ± 16.55 months, respectively. The mean hearing improvement was 10.77 ± 10.45 dBHL. The graft success rates were significantly higher in tragal cartilage group (95.1%) than in temporalis fascia group (80.3%) (p = 0.033). Graft success was negatively affected by contralateral perforation (p = 0.003). All patients with bilateral perforations and graft failure were in temporalis fascia group. Age, type and location of perforation and surgical approach did not influence graft success (p > 0.05).ConclusionOur results showed that type 1 tympanoplasty can be performed effectively in pediatric population regardless of age, location and type of perforation and surgical approach. Bilateral perforations are prone to reperforation, and should be treated with cartilage graft.

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