Objective pulsatile tinnitus on a vascular basis is a relatively uncommon auditory phenomenon. There are other forms of objective tinnitus which will not be covered in this discussion. The most common lesions are arteriovenous malformations near the temporal bone which are branches of the external carotid artery, such as the occipital artery, to the transverse or sigmoid sinus. Diagnostically, a patient can be entirely asymptomatic except for a pulse-synchronous objective tinnitus in one ear. There is usually no associated hearing loss, vertigo, imbalance or pressure. A sense of fullness may not be a constant problem but may be intermittent. The objective pulsatile tinnitus may not be a constant problem but may come and go for no apparent reason.

Idiosyncrasy to salicylic acid and related substances is well known, the most common symptoms being asthma, rhinorrhea and urticaria. We here describe two cases whose only symptoms were hoarseness and in which inspection revealed laryngeal edema when the patients ingested any of these substances. In cases of chronic recurring hoarseness, a history should be taken with respect to such hypersensitivity and suspect cases should be challenged, since a strict diet may improve the symptoms.

Tinnitus is a common symptom in a variety of otologic diseases and is frequently accompanied by loss of hearing. In recent years, the pervasiveness of the problem of subjective tinnitus has stimulated research with the following goals: to determine the frequency of tinnitus in certain diseases; to identify the anatomical source of ‘the noise’; to discover the neural mechanisms which generate this auditory pheonomena; and to find appropriate treatments.

It is extraordinarily appropriate that the organizers of the Second International Tinnitus Seminar should choose this occasion to honor Dr. Juergen Tonndorf. The printed summary of the Seminar objectives reminds us that tinnitus is a matter of concern to a remarkable spectrum of disciplines including audiology, neuropsychology, otology and psychoacoustics; and I know of no one person more thoroughly informed in each of those areas than our guest of honor, Juergen Tonndorf, M.D., Ph.D.