Letters to the Editor
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Email: [email protected] Darshni Vira, MD Division of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, USA Sarah Mowry, MD Department of Otolaryngology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA References 1. Lujber L, Revesz P. Childhood laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma causing acute airway obstruction. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2011;145(2):354-355. 2. Nikakhlagh S, Saki N, Mostofi N, et al. Rhabdomyosarcoma of the larynx. Pak J Med Sci. 2007;23(2):280-282. 3. Leventhal DD, Spiegel J, Keane W. Laryngeal alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma involving the true vocal fold in an adult: case report. Ear Nose Throat J. 2010;89(12):E8. 4. Sivanandan R, Kong CS, Kaplan MJ, et al. Laryngeal embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: a case of cervical metastases 13 years after treatment and a 25-year review of existing literature. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004;130(10):1217-22. 5. Kukwa W, Wojtowicz P, Jagielska B, et al. Laryngeal embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in an adult: a case presentation in the eyes of geneticists and clinicians. BMC Cancer. 2011;11:166.
A Call for Systematic Data Collection in Tinnitus Patients DOI: 10.1177/0194599811430043
We want to thank the authors for highlighting the relevance and clinical importance of a systematic collection of demographic and clinical data of tinnitus patients in large databases.1 This necessity has already been recognized by Jack Vernon, the founder of the first tinnitus clinic in the United States.2 In addition, this group started collecting patient data systematically in the Oregon tinnitus database.3 In the past years, a second tinnitus database has been established, which involves a systematic assessment of both cross-sectional and longitudinal data of tinnitus patients attending specialized tinnitus clinics in countries worldwide.4 The Otology Data Collection (ODC) projection within the CHEER (Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research) network infrastructure is another important complementary approach to these 2 already existing tinnitus databases. We agree with the authors that there is great heterogeneity with respect to clinical features of tinnitus patients but also with respect to applied measures in clinical trials. We also agree that to overcome this methodological problem, large sample sizes are needed, which can only be collected in a reasonable time in a multicenter approach as described by the authors. In addition, we agree that demographic data represent important information. However, from our point of view, it appears somewhat arbitrary to focus only on the differentiation of tinnitus patients according to the comorbidities of dizziness and migraine. Moreover, we would like to highlight the
relevance of prospective longitudinal data collection. These data will provide the clinically highly relevant information about the natural course of the disease and especially the effects of specific treatment interventions. The prerequisite for such an approach is provided by an international consensus on the measurements,5 which proposes guidance for clinical characterization of tinnitus patients (not limited to comorbid dizziness or migraine) as well as for outcome measurements in clinical trials in tinnitus. Based on this standard, the Tinnitus Research Initiative database has already started to collect such cross-sectional as well as prospective longitudinal data,4 and it would be desirable for the scientific community to adhere to common methodological standards to allow comparability of data across databases. Michael Landgrebe, MD Berthold Langguth, MD Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Clinic and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany Email: [email protected] References 1. Witsell DL, Rauch SD, Tucci DL, et al. The Otology Data Collection Project: report from the CHEER network. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2011;145(4):572-580. 2. Vernon J, Schleuning A. Tinnitus: a new management. Laryngoscope. 1978;88(3):413-419. 3. Meikle MB. Electronic access to tinnitus data: the Oregon Tinnitus Data Archive. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1997;117(6):698-700. 4. Landgrebe M, Zeman F, Koller M, et al. The Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) database: a new approach for delineation of tinnitus subtypes and generation of predictors for treatment outcome. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2010;10:42. 5. Langguth B, Goodey R, Azevedo A, et al. Consensus for tinnitus patient assessment and treatment outcome measurement: Tinnitus Research Initiative meeting, Regensburg, July 2006. ProgBrain Res. 2007;166:525-536.4 2011© The Author(s) 2010 Reprints and permission:
sage
Response to “A Call for Systematic Data Collection in Tinnitus Patients,” from Michael Landgrebe and Berthold Langguth DOI: 10.1177/0194599811430044
We appreciate the comments of Drs Landgrebe and Langguth in response to the report on implementation of a data collection project within the CHEER (Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research) network. Although we are in general agreement with some of the authors’ points, we would like to clarify the intent of the study as described in the referenced article. Our study sites were asked to query patients who presented to their practice with a primary complaint of either tinnitus or dizziness. Depending on their response to the initial query, they were offered the opportunity to complete questionnaires related to their primary complaint. If they had both tinnitus and dizziness, they completed both questionnaires. Therefore,
Downloaded from oto.sagepub.com at University of Exeter on August 11, 2015
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Email: [email protected] Darshni Vira, MD Division of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, USA Sarah Mowry, MD Department of Otolaryngology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA References 1. Lujber L, Revesz P. Childhood laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma causing acute airway obstruction. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2011;145(2):354-355. 2. Nikakhlagh S, Saki N, Mostofi N, et al. Rhabdomyosarcoma of the larynx. Pak J Med Sci. 2007;23(2):280-282. 3. Leventhal DD, Spiegel J, Keane W. Laryngeal alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma involving the true vocal fold in an adult: case report. Ear Nose Throat J. 2010;89(12):E8. 4. Sivanandan R, Kong CS, Kaplan MJ, et al. Laryngeal embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: a case of cervical metastases 13 years after treatment and a 25-year review of existing literature. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004;130(10):1217-22. 5. Kukwa W, Wojtowicz P, Jagielska B, et al. Laryngeal embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in an adult: a case presentation in the eyes of geneticists and clinicians. BMC Cancer. 2011;11:166.
A Call for Systematic Data Collection in Tinnitus Patients DOI: 10.1177/0194599811430043
We want to thank the authors for highlighting the relevance and clinical importance of a systematic collection of demographic and clinical data of tinnitus patients in large databases.1 This necessity has already been recognized by Jack Vernon, the founder of the first tinnitus clinic in the United States.2 In addition, this group started collecting patient data systematically in the Oregon tinnitus database.3 In the past years, a second tinnitus database has been established, which involves a systematic assessment of both cross-sectional and longitudinal data of tinnitus patients attending specialized tinnitus clinics in countries worldwide.4 The Otology Data Collection (ODC) projection within the CHEER (Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research) network infrastructure is another important complementary approach to these 2 already existing tinnitus databases. We agree with the authors that there is great heterogeneity with respect to clinical features of tinnitus patients but also with respect to applied measures in clinical trials. We also agree that to overcome this methodological problem, large sample sizes are needed, which can only be collected in a reasonable time in a multicenter approach as described by the authors. In addition, we agree that demographic data represent important information. However, from our point of view, it appears somewhat arbitrary to focus only on the differentiation of tinnitus patients according to the comorbidities of dizziness and migraine. Moreover, we would like to highlight the
relevance of prospective longitudinal data collection. These data will provide the clinically highly relevant information about the natural course of the disease and especially the effects of specific treatment interventions. The prerequisite for such an approach is provided by an international consensus on the measurements,5 which proposes guidance for clinical characterization of tinnitus patients (not limited to comorbid dizziness or migraine) as well as for outcome measurements in clinical trials in tinnitus. Based on this standard, the Tinnitus Research Initiative database has already started to collect such cross-sectional as well as prospective longitudinal data,4 and it would be desirable for the scientific community to adhere to common methodological standards to allow comparability of data across databases. Michael Landgrebe, MD Berthold Langguth, MD Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Clinic and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany Email: [email protected] References 1. Witsell DL, Rauch SD, Tucci DL, et al. The Otology Data Collection Project: report from the CHEER network. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2011;145(4):572-580. 2. Vernon J, Schleuning A. Tinnitus: a new management. Laryngoscope. 1978;88(3):413-419. 3. Meikle MB. Electronic access to tinnitus data: the Oregon Tinnitus Data Archive. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1997;117(6):698-700. 4. Landgrebe M, Zeman F, Koller M, et al. The Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) database: a new approach for delineation of tinnitus subtypes and generation of predictors for treatment outcome. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2010;10:42. 5. Langguth B, Goodey R, Azevedo A, et al. Consensus for tinnitus patient assessment and treatment outcome measurement: Tinnitus Research Initiative meeting, Regensburg, July 2006. ProgBrain Res. 2007;166:525-536.4 2011© The Author(s) 2010 Reprints and permission:
sage
Response to “A Call for Systematic Data Collection in Tinnitus Patients,” from Michael Landgrebe and Berthold Langguth DOI: 10.1177/0194599811430044
We appreciate the comments of Drs Landgrebe and Langguth in response to the report on implementation of a data collection project within the CHEER (Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research) network. Although we are in general agreement with some of the authors’ points, we would like to clarify the intent of the study as described in the referenced article. Our study sites were asked to query patients who presented to their practice with a primary complaint of either tinnitus or dizziness. Depending on their response to the initial query, they were offered the opportunity to complete questionnaires related to their primary complaint. If they had both tinnitus and dizziness, they completed both questionnaires. Therefore,
Downloaded from oto.sagepub.com at University of Exeter on August 11, 2015
