Ear, otology

PURPOSE: Otology and neuro-otology surgeries pose significant challenges due to the intricate and variable anatomy of the temporal bone (TB), requiring extensive training. In the last years 3D-printed temporal bone models for otological dissection are becoming increasingly popular. In this study, we presented a new 3D-printed temporal bone model named 'SAPIENS', tailored for educational and surgical simulation purposes. METHODS: The 'SAPIENS' model was a collaborative effort involving a multidisciplinary team, including radiologists, software engineers, ENT specialists, and 3D-printing experts...

Ear canal foreign bodies are commonly encountered in the field of otolaryngology. This is especially common in the pediatric otolaryngology discipline. As a foreign body, cyanoacrylate glue (also called "super glue") can be difficult to remove and cause significant patient distress. Multiple solvents can be described as aiding in removing such foreign bodies. Here, a case is described in which hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid were used sequentially to remove cyanoacrylate glue from the external auditory canal...

PURPOSE: Injuries of the nasal vestibular skin caused by the rotating burr shafts can represent a tedious complication following endonasal drilling and is experienced sooner or later by every rhino-surgeon. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To protect the nasal entrance from laceration by the free rotating drill shaft we position an otology speculum in the nasal entrance. The speculum is held in place by the scrub nurse during the critical phase of bone drilling. RESULTS: Following the introduction of the ear speculum protection, we successfully treated our dacryocystostamia procedures (n = 27) and median maxillectomia procedures (n = 6) without any further soft tissue erosions...

BACKGROUND: In otosurgical training, cadaveric temporal bones are primarily used to provide a realistic tactile experience. However, using cadaveric temporal bones is challenging due to their limited availability, high cost, and potential for infection. Utilizing current three-dimensional (3D) technologies could overcome the limitations associated with cadaveric bones. This study focused on how a 3D-printed middle ear model can be used in otosurgical training. METHODS: A cadaveric temporal bone was imaged using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) to generate a 3D model of the middle ear...

BACKGROUND: Otitis is commonly associated with community-acquired bacterial meningitis but role of ear surgery as treatment is debated. In this study, we investigated the impact of otitis and ear surgery on outcome of adults with community-acquired bacterial meningitis. METHODS: We analyzed episodes of adults with community-acquired bacterial meningitis from a nationwide prospective cohort study in the Netherlands, between March 2006 to July 2021. RESULTS: A total of 2,548 episodes of community-acquired bacterial meningitis were evaluated...

BACKGROUND: Surgical procedures scheduled staggered between two operating rooms increase efficiency by eliminating turnover time. However, the practice might increase the surgeon's fatigue. Overlapping surgery has been assumed to be safe because no critical portions of procedures are performed simultaneously in two rooms, but there is little evidence in the literature to support that assumption for otolaryngologic surgery, and there is no evidence comparing non-overlapping and overlapping surgical outcomes for a single surgeon with all confounding factors controlled...

Cellular and molecular alterations associated with hearing loss are now better understood with advances in molecular biology. These changes indicate the participation of distinct damage and stress pathways that are unlikely to be fully addressed by conventional pharmaceutical treatment. Sensorineural hearing loss is a common and debilitating condition for which comprehensive pharmacologic intervention is not available. The complex and diverse molecular pathology that underlies hearing loss currently limits our ability to intervene with small molecules...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of visual abstracts versus automated tweets on social media participation in Otology & Neurotology. PATIENTS: N/A. INTERVENTIONS: Introduction of visual abstracts developed by the social media editorial team to established automated tweets created by the dlvr.it computer program on the Otology & Neurotology Twitter account. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Twitter analytics including the number of new followers per month, impressions per tweet, and engagements per tweet...

BACKGROUND: Sheep have been proposed as a large-animal model for studying cochlear implantation. However, prior sheep studies report that the facial nerve (FN) obscures the round window membrane (RWM), requiring FN sacrifice or a retrofacial opening to access the middle-ear cavity posterior to the FN for cochlear implantation. We investigated surgical access to the RWM in Hampshire sheep compared to Suffolk-Dorset sheep and the feasibility of Hampshire sheep for cochlear implantation via a facial recess approach...

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to identify and clinically characterize patients treated in an Otoneurology Unit who experienced vestibular ototoxicity as a result of using aminoglycoside ear drops during outbreaks of superinfection in chronic otitis media. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational retrospective study was conducted, including patients with perforated eardrums who developed vestibular ototoxicity within the past ten years following the application of topical ear aminoglycosides in a tertiary referral center...

OBJECTIVE: The acoustic reflex is the active response of the middle ear to loud sounds, altering the mechanical transfer function of the acoustic energy into the inner ear. Our goal is to observe the effect of the acoustic reflex on the tympanic membrane by identifying a significant nonlinear increase in membrane oscillations. DESIGN: By using interferometric spectrally encoded endoscopy we record the membrane oscillations over time in response to a loud, 200-ms-long acoustic stimulus...

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency, treatment, and outcomes of postoperative delayed-onset swelling around cochlear implants. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, observational, nonrandomized group study. SETTING: Academic medical center. PATIENTS/INTERVENTIONS: Among 354 patients (516 ears) who underwent cochlear implantation (CI) at our hospital between May 2009 and October 2022, 329 (472 ears: 138 children [246 ears] and 191 adults [226 ears]) with a follow-up period of >3 months were included...

HYPOTHESIS: Preimplantation word scores cannot reliably predict postimplantation outcomes. BACKGROUND: To date, there is no model based on preoperative data that can reliably predict the postoperative outcomes of cochlear implantation in the postlingually deafened adult patient. METHODS: In a group of 228 patients who received a cochlear implant between 2002 and 2021, we tested the predictive power of nine variables (age, etiology, sex, laterality of implantation, preimplantation thresholds and word scores, as well as the design, insertion approach, and angular insertion depth of the electrode array) on postimplantation outcomes...

UNLABELLED: There are discrepancies in the literature about the specific influence of leprosy on auditory functions. In routine clinical practice regular hearing screening of leprosy patients is not done. Due to conflicting reports of auditory system involvement in the literature, we conducted this case control study to evaluate the need of regular hearing screening in leprosy patients. A complete otological examination of thirty leprosy patients was conducted. Thirty age and sex matched healthy individual attending ear, nose and throat outpatient department were enrolled as control...

Otitic Hydrocephalus (OH) is one of the most significant life-threatening complications of otological infections. Given their low prevalence and non-specific ear symptoms, this complication requires a high index of suspicion for diagnosis. In this case report, we aim to provide an analysis of OH and describe common clinical signs and symptoms, treatment options, morbidity and mortality.

AIMS: To identify the effect of acid reflux on the middle ear function in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) with no pre-existing otologic complaints. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients presenting with complaints suggestive of LPRD were identified and Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) and Reflux Finding Score (RFS) were calculated. 73 individuals with RSI ≥ 13 and RFS ≥ 7 was diagnosed with LPRD and chosen as cases...

HYPOTHESIS: Cyclodextrin (CDX)-induced serum prestin burst is not dependent on outer hair cell (OHC) loss. BACKGROUND: Serum prestin has been proposed as a biomarker for ototoxicity. We recently used an automated Western approach to quantify serum prestin changes in a newly introduced model of CDX ototoxicity. To gain insights into prestin as a biomarker, here we further characterize serum prestin in the CDX model. METHODS: Guinea pigs were treated with 750, 3,000, or 4,000 mg/kg CDX, and serum samples were obtained through up to 15 weeks after exposure...

OBJECTIVES: During the COVID-19 pandemic, various non-pharmaceutical interventions such as individual hygiene practices like hand washing, social distancing, and mandates for the use of masks in public spaces were implemented to reduce the spread of the disease. Otitis media (OM) is a common infectious disease. How the changed environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the prevalence of infectious diseases like OM is not known. This study aimed to investigate how OM prevalence and trends changed during COVID-19 in Korea...

Recording of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) is a well-established method for functional diagnostics of the otolith organs. VEMPs are vestibular reflexes of the sacculus und utriculus to acoustic stimulation by air-conducted sound or bone-conducted vibration and are recorded by surface electrodes from the cervical (cVEMP) and ocular (oVEMP) muscles. The results of VEMP recordings are part of the neuro-otologic test battery and enable diagnosis of various vestibular disorders or differentiation between non-vestibular and peripheral vestibular vertigo...