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Introduction:To investigate the relationship between morphometric variants of the cochlear nerve (CN) and the hearing level. To investigate the confounding effects of age, sex, and audiometric variables on the relationship between CN morphometrics and hearing loss, if present.Methods:Audiological data and magnetic resonance imaging findings of 127 patients with asymmetrical sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) were reviewed retrospectively. According to pure tone average (PTA) frequencies of each ear, difference above 25 dB were accepted as ASNHL. The vertical (Vd) and horizontal diameters (Hd) and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the CN were measured.Results:The difference in CSA and Vd between ears showed a negative correlation with age. The mean CSA was 1.57 in AE and 1.60 in NE. Mean Hd was 1.00 in AE and 1.00 NE. Mean Vd was 1.40 in AE and 1.50 in NE. There was no correlation between the difference ratios of thresholds and CN diameter parameters. There was no significant correlation of CSA, Vd, and Hd with PTA thresholds at each frequency.Conclusion:Aging is associated with losses in Vd diameter and CSA. The degree of hearing loss was not correlated with the morphometric features of the CN. The morphometry of the CN should be interpreted together with the etiology of hearing loss.

Objective Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a user-independent ultrasonographic technique that evaluates tissue elasticity. It is used especially in the evaluation of thyroiditis and thyroid nodules when it is capable of distinguishing malignant from benign thyroiditis in adults. To date, no studies have evaluated SWE in pediatric thyroid patients. The aim of this study was to measure the elasticity of normal thyroid tissue in children and adolescents using SWE and to investigate its role in the diagnosis of pediatric autoimmune thyroiditis. Methods In total, 113 healthy children of whom 66 (58.4%) were girls and 57 children with autoimmune thyroiditis of whom 45 (78.9%) were girls were evaluated by SWE after B-mode ultrasound. The quantitative evaluation of normal thyroid tissue in healthy children and those with autoimmune thyroiditis was performed using shear wave velocity (SWV) values (m/s). Thyroid antibodies were consistent with autoimmune thyroiditis. Data were compared using descriptive and analytical statistics and receiver-operating characteristic curves. Results The mean ± standard deviation (range) of SWV value in thyroid parenchyma of the healthy children was 1.82±0.3 m/s (1.32-2.37) m/s. There was a significant positive correlation between age and SWV values which increased with age. The average SWV value of thyroid parenchyma in children with autoimmune thyroiditis was 3.7±1.2 (2.59-6.25) m/s which was statistically significantly greater than in healthy children (p=0.00). The cut-off value for elasticity with the highest diagnostic accuracy was 2.39 m/s; sensitivity and specificity were 97.4% and 100% respectively. There was no correlation between elasticity, thyroid function tests and autoantibody concentrations (p>0.05). Conclusion SWE is a useful imaging method that can be used with routine ultrasonography in evaluation of the thyroid in children.