What's new in otology--the inner ear.

IN Part I Mr. Gordon Smyth has paid tribute to those who have gone before us and pioneered the advances which he has just described for the middle ear and which I am going to describe for the inner ear, and I would like to add my tribute to his. SYMPTOMS These are tinnitus, vertigoi and deafness, occuring either singly, in pairs, or all together. 1. Tinnitus This is always associated with some degree of hearing loss, and its cause is unknown. The treatment is therefore to treat the cause of the deafness whether -this be of middle ear or nerve type. Frequently, however, the tinnitus fails to improve and this had led to a host of procedures for its treatment, none of which are lastingly beneficial. Many patients seek advice, because they are afraid that the tinnitus indicates something sinister occuring either in the brain or the ear itself, and once they can be reassured on this point they are prepared to live with the noise. 2. Vertigo By which we mean the hallucination of movement. It occurs in diseases of the labyrinth, eighth nerve, and the central nervous system. For successful early diagnosis and treatment, close co-operation between neurologist and otologist is essential, and a team has been formed here in Northern Ireland consisting of neurologist, neurosurgeon, physician, radiologist and otologist.