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Some 25 original articles are featured in the April 2005 edition of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.
1. Gastric reflux is uncommon in acute post-tympanostomy otorrhea. Acute post-tympanostomy otorrhea (discharge from the ear, also known as APTO) is a common complication of tympanostomy tube placement. APTO has been related primarily to viral upper respiratory infections and external ear contamination. Elevated levels of gastric enzymes have been found in a large proportion of chronic middle ear effusions, implicating gastric reflux (GR) as its cause. In a nonrandomized study, otorrhea samples were collected from children with APTO. The study found that gastric reflux does not play a major role in the development of APTO in children.
2. Intratympanic steroid perfusion for refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) can benefit from systemic steroid therapy while others are not due to concern over possible complications and not all patients will benefit from steroid administration. A retrospective case review out of Illinois has found intratympanic steroid therapy can be beneficial in treating patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss refractory to oral steroid use.
3. Mediolateral graft tympanoplasty for anterior or subtotal tympanic membrane perforation. Researchers from California set out to describe and evaluate the mediolateral graft tympanoplasty for the reconstruction of anterior or subtotal tympanic membrane (TM) perforation. The retrospective study finds the mediolateral graft method is superior to the traditional medial or lateral graft technique for the reconstruction of large anterior or subtotal TM perforation. The new mediolateral graft method should help otologic surgeons to improve outcome of tympanoplasty for anterior or total TM perforation.
4. Safety evaluation of titanium middle ear prostheses at 3.0 tesla. Minnesota researchers evaluated the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) safety of titanium middle ear prostheses at 3.0 tesla (T). Titanium middle ear prostheses from three commercial vendors were examined for magnetic field interactions at three T. In addition to testing for prosthesis displacement, temperature changes of the prostheses were measured to assess for radiofrequency heating during imaging. The research concludes that middle ear prostheses made from titanium are safe, neither deflecting nor heating during magnetic resonance examinations conducted at three T.
5. DPOAE-grams in patients with acute tonal tinnitus. A prospective controlled study out of Germany investigates cochlear outer hair cell function in patients with acute tonal tinnitus and normal or near-normal hearing threshold. Findings suggest an altered functional state of the outer hair cells at a selected high-frequency region of the cochlea in ears with acute tonal tinnitus and normal or near-normal hearing threshold.
6. Management of post-traumatic vertigo. If the onset of vertigo occurs a few weeks or months after the initial trauma, patients need to be carefully diagnosed. In a prospective study of consecutive new cases with vertigo, German researchers evaluated patients after blunt trauma of the head, neck, and craniocervical junction with vertigo. The researchers suggest posttraumatic vertigo can be treated with a high success rate once the underlying disorder has been identified. The extent of the neurotological test battery determines the precision and quality of diagnostics.
7. The bone-anchored hearing aid in children: A surgical and questionnaire follow-up study. Researchers from Sweden conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the surgical techniques and problems seen in children with bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA) as well as to determine the children’s attitudes toward BAHA. Overall, these patients were very content with their BAHAs. Results conclude bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA) are a good alternative in children despite limited thickness of the temporal bone.
8. Long-term effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with chronic tinnitus. The pathophysiologic mechanisms of tinnitus due to unknown reasons remain unclear. Recent studies demonstrated focal brain activation in the auditory cortex of patients with chronic tinnitus. Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is able to reduce cortical hyperexcitability. Preliminary research results from a German study demonstrate that neuronavigated rTMS offers new possibilities in the understanding and treatment of chronic tinnitus.
9. Multilevel temperature-controlled radiofrequency for obstructive sleep apnea: Extended follow-up. Cincinnati researchers conducted a prospective two institution case series to determine long-term effectiveness of multilevel (tongue and palate) temperature-controlled radiofrequency tissue ablation (TCRFTA) for patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The study shows multilevel TCRFTA treatment of mild to moderate OSAS resulted in prolonged improvement in daytime somnolence, OSAS-related quality of life, psychomotor vigilance, and apnea index scores in this group of subjects at extended follow-up.
10. Use of mometasone furoate aqueous nasal spray in the treatment of rhinitis medicamentosa: An experimental study. Turkish researchers examined 24 male guinea pigs where Oxymetazolin (0.05 percent) was sprayed into the nasal cavities three times daily for eight weeks. The experimental study found that mometasone furoate nasal spray was effective against experimentally induced rhinitis medicamentosa in guinea pigs. Mometasone furoate nasal spray may have value in the treatment of patients with rhinitis medicamentosa.
These, and 15 other research findings are available in the April 2005 edition of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.
From American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS)
1. Gastric reflux is uncommon in acute post-tympanostomy otorrhea. Acute post-tympanostomy otorrhea (discharge from the ear, also known as APTO) is a common complication of tympanostomy tube placement. APTO has been related primarily to viral upper respiratory infections and external ear contamination. Elevated levels of gastric enzymes have been found in a large proportion of chronic middle ear effusions, implicating gastric reflux (GR) as its cause. In a nonrandomized study, otorrhea samples were collected from children with APTO. The study found that gastric reflux does not play a major role in the development of APTO in children.
2. Intratympanic steroid perfusion for refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) can benefit from systemic steroid therapy while others are not due to concern over possible complications and not all patients will benefit from steroid administration. A retrospective case review out of Illinois has found intratympanic steroid therapy can be beneficial in treating patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss refractory to oral steroid use.
3. Mediolateral graft tympanoplasty for anterior or subtotal tympanic membrane perforation. Researchers from California set out to describe and evaluate the mediolateral graft tympanoplasty for the reconstruction of anterior or subtotal tympanic membrane (TM) perforation. The retrospective study finds the mediolateral graft method is superior to the traditional medial or lateral graft technique for the reconstruction of large anterior or subtotal TM perforation. The new mediolateral graft method should help otologic surgeons to improve outcome of tympanoplasty for anterior or total TM perforation.
4. Safety evaluation of titanium middle ear prostheses at 3.0 tesla. Minnesota researchers evaluated the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) safety of titanium middle ear prostheses at 3.0 tesla (T). Titanium middle ear prostheses from three commercial vendors were examined for magnetic field interactions at three T. In addition to testing for prosthesis displacement, temperature changes of the prostheses were measured to assess for radiofrequency heating during imaging. The research concludes that middle ear prostheses made from titanium are safe, neither deflecting nor heating during magnetic resonance examinations conducted at three T.
5. DPOAE-grams in patients with acute tonal tinnitus. A prospective controlled study out of Germany investigates cochlear outer hair cell function in patients with acute tonal tinnitus and normal or near-normal hearing threshold. Findings suggest an altered functional state of the outer hair cells at a selected high-frequency region of the cochlea in ears with acute tonal tinnitus and normal or near-normal hearing threshold.
6. Management of post-traumatic vertigo. If the onset of vertigo occurs a few weeks or months after the initial trauma, patients need to be carefully diagnosed. In a prospective study of consecutive new cases with vertigo, German researchers evaluated patients after blunt trauma of the head, neck, and craniocervical junction with vertigo. The researchers suggest posttraumatic vertigo can be treated with a high success rate once the underlying disorder has been identified. The extent of the neurotological test battery determines the precision and quality of diagnostics.
7. The bone-anchored hearing aid in children: A surgical and questionnaire follow-up study. Researchers from Sweden conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the surgical techniques and problems seen in children with bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA) as well as to determine the children’s attitudes toward BAHA. Overall, these patients were very content with their BAHAs. Results conclude bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA) are a good alternative in children despite limited thickness of the temporal bone.
8. Long-term effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with chronic tinnitus. The pathophysiologic mechanisms of tinnitus due to unknown reasons remain unclear. Recent studies demonstrated focal brain activation in the auditory cortex of patients with chronic tinnitus. Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is able to reduce cortical hyperexcitability. Preliminary research results from a German study demonstrate that neuronavigated rTMS offers new possibilities in the understanding and treatment of chronic tinnitus.
9. Multilevel temperature-controlled radiofrequency for obstructive sleep apnea: Extended follow-up. Cincinnati researchers conducted a prospective two institution case series to determine long-term effectiveness of multilevel (tongue and palate) temperature-controlled radiofrequency tissue ablation (TCRFTA) for patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The study shows multilevel TCRFTA treatment of mild to moderate OSAS resulted in prolonged improvement in daytime somnolence, OSAS-related quality of life, psychomotor vigilance, and apnea index scores in this group of subjects at extended follow-up.
10. Use of mometasone furoate aqueous nasal spray in the treatment of rhinitis medicamentosa: An experimental study. Turkish researchers examined 24 male guinea pigs where Oxymetazolin (0.05 percent) was sprayed into the nasal cavities three times daily for eight weeks. The experimental study found that mometasone furoate nasal spray was effective against experimentally induced rhinitis medicamentosa in guinea pigs. Mometasone furoate nasal spray may have value in the treatment of patients with rhinitis medicamentosa.
These, and 15 other research findings are available in the April 2005 edition of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.
From American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS)