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Background: Manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 in ENT include sore throat, rhinorrhoea, anosmia and dysgeusia. Whether coronavirus disease 2019 causes otitis media is not known. Objective: To assess the presence of otitis media in a series of patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 and ENT symptoms. Methods: The study included patients with coronavirus disease 2019, confirmed on polymerase chain reaction assay, who had otological (e.g. otalgia, otorrhoea, hearing loss) or other ENT (e.g. anosmia, dysgeusia) manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019, in two tertiary referral hospitals in Iran. Patients were excluded if they had a background of otological problems including previous acute otitis media, chronic otitis media, otological surgery, and trauma or radiotherapy to the head and neck. Results: Otitis media was found in eight patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and no background of otological problems. Six patients had middle-ear effusion, three had typical signs of acute otitis media, and one had a tympanic membrane perforation. Most patients had hearing loss; conductive hearing loss and mild sensorineural hearing loss at high frequencies were the underlying mechanisms. Conclusion: Otitis media should be considered a manifestation or associated symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 during the current pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Despite numerous trials, there has not yet been any definite strategy to reduce replicable long-term tinnitus and earache. Complementary and alternative medical approaches have been used to decrease the symptoms of tinnitus and earache. This study was conducted to report medicinal plants that are used to treat ear disorders, especially earache and tinnitus in different regions of Iran. Evidence Acquisitions: Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Google Scholar, PubMed, LISTA (EBSCO), Embase, and Web of Science were searched using relevant search terms to retrieve eligible publications. Results: Twenty-three species from sixteen families were used for the treatment of earache and tinnitus in Iran. Plants from families Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most commonly used plants for the treatment of earache. Ginkgo biloba was frequently reported for the treatment of tinnitus. Conclusion: This study shows the important role of medicinal plants in the treatment of earache and tinnitus in some regions of Iran. The medicinal plants reported in this review can be considered in treatments for earache and tinnitus if examined more extensively in clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can cause some of the symptoms and diseases in ENT field. However, there are a few reports from developing countries and there is not any report on this issue. On the other hand, the prevalence of HIV positive (symptomatic or asymptomatic) patients is increasing across the nation. Awareness of these complications of hearing system can result in early intervention and improve patients' quality of life. Objective: Determining the otologic and audiologic findings in HIV positive patients Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed on the 30 HIV positive patients referred from number-10 medical-therapeutic center of Rasht to Amiralmomenin hospital from April 2011 to March 2012. The senior resident of ENT- HNS took a comprehensive medical history and performed full clinical examination in the auditory system. In all patients, audiometric tests including tympanometry, pure tone audiometry, transient otoacoustic emissions (TOAEs) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) were done. Results: Of the 30 HIV -positive patients, 21 were male and 9 were female. Of these, 2 patients were in the AIDS phase The mean age of patients was 36.27 ± 9.71 years (range 24-56), and 8 patients complained of otic symptoms: dizziness (7 cases), tinnitus (4 cases), otalgia and fullness (each 3 cases). In audiometry, we found hearing loss in 8 of 60 ears (6 patients). The conductive and sensorineural hearing losses were found in 4 and 4 ears, respectively. As revealed, 21 out of 30 patients (70%) had abnormal TOAE. Also, in 9 out of 30 patients (30%), we observed ABR abnormality, with increased interpeak of wave I-III (14 ears)being the most frequent. Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of TOAEs abnormality in these patients and increased interpeak of waves I-III in ABR, it seems that the locus of ear damage is the outer hair cells of cochlea and distal part of the central auditory pathway and TOAEs is more sensitive than PTA and with ABR test it can help early detection of hearing loss in such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]