[Comparison of stapes protheses: A prospective analysis of audiometric results obtained after stapedotomy by implantation of a teflon piston and a Soft-CliP® piston].

A wide variety of pistons are available for stapes surgery in otosclerosis. The objective of this work was to analyze the short-term and medium-term results of Soft-CliP® piston in prima­ry stapes surgery and to compare it with a conventional prosthesis. The study was prospective, monocentric, rando­mi­zed, based on efficiency of Soft-CliP® prosthesis (11 patients) versus Causse® Teflon prosthesis (9 patients) in otosclerosis surgery. Epidemiological data, treatment modalities, pure-tone audiometric results and outcome of patients were studied. Mean follow-up was 10 months. Soft-CliP® placement was statisti­cally longer. The mean postoperative air-bone gap was within 10 dB in 73% and 67% of cases at 2 months and in 82% and 89% of cases at medium-term in Soft-CliP® and Teflon groups respectively. A statistically significant decrease in mean air-bone gap and for all frequencies was observed at 2 months and at medium term, with no difference between the 2 groups. The main result was the demonstration of the reliability and safety of Soft-CliP® prosthesis. With a new design, Soft-CliP® place­ment was easy. The biomechanics of ossicular chain should be better preserved, and the risk of incus erosion and necrosis decreased. A study on a larger population in the long-term would validate these results.

[Genotype--phenotype correlation limits in sensorineural hearing loss: case report of a three-year-old child with a bilateral cochleovestibular impairment and a molecular variant of the COCH gene]. / Les limites des relations phénotypes--génotypes dans les surdités neurosensorielles: a propos d'un enfant de 3 ans associant dysfonction cochléovestibulaire bilatérale et variant moléculaire du gène COCH.

Mutations of the COCH gene inherited in an autosomal dominant mode are responsible for late-onset cochleovestibular impairment on both sides. Our objective is to report the youngest patient (3 years) associating a molecular variant of the COCH gene and a cochleovestibular impairment on both sides. The clinical sequence has started with a vestibular dysfunction in a two-year-old child: recurrent rotatory dizziness during 12 months. At the age of 3, a sensorineural hearing loss on both sides has occured associated with spontaneous variation during 6 months. The lack of mutation of the connexin 26, connexin 30 and pendrin genes has reorientated the genetic investigation. A molecular variant of the COCH gene was found in the vWFA2 domain. It was an in-frame deletion predicting the synthesis of an abnormal protein in which 21 aminoacid were missing. Others family members with mutation were asymptomatics. In this isolated case report, the study was in favor of a non pathogenic molecular variant of the COCH gene. For all that, mutations of the COCH gene could be searched in progressive cochleovestibular dysfunctions on both sides in children, even without family affect.

[Middle ear barotraumas due to rhinopharyngeal scar tissue: tubomanometry diagnostic and therapeutic contribution]. / Barotraumatismes de l'oreille moyenne par brides rhinopharyngées: intérêt diagnostique et thérapeutique de la tubomanométrie.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of tubomanometry contribution to diagnosis middle ear barotraumas in relation with rhinopharyngeal scar tissue, and contribution to check postoperative effectiveness of scar tissue surgical resection. METHODS: Clinical cases study of two stewardesses who have lost their flight fitness consecutively to barotraumatic otitis during landing, engendered by rhinopharyngeal scar tissue. RESULTS: Pre-operative tubomanometric parameters were abnormal in both cases: decrease of intratympanic pressure in one case, variability of tube opening latency index and lengthening of intratympanic pressure rising time in the other case. Surgical section during endonasal endoscopy results in initially abnormal tubomanometric parameters normalization, allowing resumption of flight fitness without any barotrauma. CONCLUSION: Some abnormal tubomanometric parameters help to establish causality link between middle ear barotrauma and rhinopharyngeal scar tissue for which surgical section is thus indicated. Post-operative tubomanometric parameters normalization prove surgical effectiveness. Then, flight fitness could then be restored.

Consensus statement. Corticosteroid therapy in ENT in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This consensus statement about the indications and modalities of corticosteroid treatment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was jointly written by experts from the French Association of Otology and Oto-Neurology (AFON) and from the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (SFORL). There is currently not enough data in favour of danger or benefit from corticosteroids in COVID-19, so until this matter is resolved it is advisable to limit their indications to the most serious clinical pictures for which it is well established that this type of treatment has a positive impact on the progression of symptoms. In Grade V and VI Bell's palsy according to the House-Brackmann grading system, a week's course of oral corticosteroids is recommended. Corticosteroid therapy is also recommended in cases of sudden hearing loss of more than 60dB, either in the form of intratympanic injections or a week's course of oral medication. In rhinology, there is no indication for systemic corticosteroid therapy in the current situation. However, patients are advised to continue with their local corticosteroid therapy in the form of a nasal spray or by inhalation. Treatments with corticosteroid nasal sprays can still be prescribed if there is no alternative. Finally, systemic or local corticosteroid therapy is not indicated for bacterial ENT infections.

French Society of ENT (SFORL) guidelines. Management of acute Bell's palsy.

AQFThe authors present the guidelines of the French Society of ENT and Head and Neck Surgery (SFORL) regarding the management of Bell's palsy in adults. After a literature review by a multidisciplinary workgroup, guidelines were drawn up based on retrieved articles and group-members' experience, then read over by an independent group to edit the final version. Guidelines were graded A, B, C or "expert opinion" according to decreasing level of evidence. Thorough ENT and neurological clinical examination is recommended in all patients presenting with peripheral facial palsy to confirm diagnosis of Bell's palsy. MRI with gadolinium enhancement should explore the entire course of the facial nerve, if possible within the first month. ENMG should be performed to assess prognosis for recovery. In confirmed Bell's palsy, corticosteroid therapy should be implemented as early as possible (ideally within 72h) at a dose of 1mg/kg/day for 7-10 days. Antiviral therapy should be associated to steroids in patients with severe and early-onset disease and in Ramsay-Hunt syndrome. Isolated antiviral therapy is not recommended. To date, there is no evidence that surgical facial nerve decompression provides benefit.

Improved Assessment of Middle Ear Recurrent Cholesteatomas Using a Fusion of Conventional CT and Non-EPI-DWI MRI.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recurrent middle ear cholesteatomas are commonly preoperatively assessed using MR imaging (non-EPI-DWI) and CT. Both modalities are used with the aim of distinguishing scar tissue from cholesteatoma and determining the extent of bone erosions. Inflammation and scar tissue associated with the lesions might hamper a proper delineation of the corresponding extensions on CT images. Using surgical findings as the criterion standard, we assessed the recurrent middle ear cholesteatoma extent using either uncoregistered or fused CT-MR imaging datasets and determined the corresponding accuracy and repeatability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients with suspected recurrent middle ear cholesteatoma and preoperative CT-MR imaging datasets were prospectively included. A double-blind assessment and coregistration of the recurrent middle ear cholesteatoma extent and manual delineation of 18 presumed recurrent middle ear cholesteatomas were performed by 2 radiologists and compared with the criterion standard. "Reliability score" was defined to qualify radiologists' confidence. For each volume, segmentation repeatability was assessed on the basis of intraclass correlation coefficient and overlap indices. RESULTS: For the whole set of patients, recurrent middle ear cholesteatoma was further supported by surgical results. Two lesions were excluded from the analysis, given that MR imaging did not show a restricted diffusion. Lesions were accurately localized using the fused datasets, whereas significantly fewer lesions (85%) were correctly localized using uncoregistered images. Reliability scores were larger for fused datasets. Segmentation repeatability showed an almost perfect intraclass correlation coefficient regarding volumes, while overlaps were significantly lower in uncoregistered (52%) compared with fused (60%, P < .001) datasets. CONCLUSIONS: The use of coregistered CT-MR images significantly improved the assessment of recurrent middle ear cholesteatoma with a greater accuracy and better reliability and repeatability.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN): A descriptive literature analysis on the diagnosis and management modalities.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this review is to explore the different aspects of the diagnosis and management of Trigeminal neuralgia (TN). We look at the role of radiological imaging in the work-up of this condition, and based on the findings in the literature, we report data on the medical and surgical management of TN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Cochrane search engines in order to explore the data available on the diagnosis and management of TN. Clinical features and various treatment modalities were analyzed by the authors. The identified studies were evaluated and data was reported on the different aspects of the condition in order to provide an evidence-based update on the topic. DISCUSSION: The diagnosis of TN is based on the patient's clinical history and radiological imaging. The commonest cause of TN is a micro-vascular compression by a looping blood vessel. Radiological evaluation is critical in the work-up of the disorder and in order to eliminate other possible causes. Management of the disorder can be medical or surgical, with micro-vascular decompression having the highest remission rate. CONCLUSION: Patients with TN present paroxysmal pain attacks in the territories innervated by the trigeminal nerve. Diagnostic investigations must allow precise anatomical evaluation of the CPA, and MR imaging is the gold-standard radiological investigation for this purpose. Management of TN can be medical or surgical, with micro-vascular decompression having the highest success rate.

Conservative treatment of vestibular schwannoma: growth and Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life scale in French language.

The aim of this study was to determine the natural history of growth and quality of life (QoL) outcomes for vestibular schwannoma (VS) managed conservatively, and to validate the disease-specific Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality-of-Life (PANQOL) scale in French language. We retrospectively studied 26 patients with VS managed conservatively. Patient characteristics and radiological findings were collected. Two scales were used to measure QoL: the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the PANQOL scale translated into French. Internal consistency and scores were compared with previous studies. The mean follow-up was 25 months (range 6-72). We observed tumour growth in 14 patients (53.8%), no growth in 12 patients (46.2%) and no case of tumour shrinkage. The mean tumour growth was 2.22 mm/year. No predictive factor of growth was found. Patients with vertigo or dizziness experienced a poorer QoL according to the SF-36 (Social Functioning and Emotional Role Limitation dimensions) and to the PANQOL scale (Balance and Energy dimensions). Our results were comparable with the literature using the SF-36. With the PANQOL scale, our scores were not statistically different with those from Dutch and North American studies except in the field of hearing (p = 0.019). Quality of life becomes essential in the management of VS. According to these results, we support a non-conservative strategy associated with vestibular rehabilitation for patients with dizziness or vertigo. The PANQOL is a validated specific scale for VS, which can be useful in French.

[About a case of laryngeal location of SAPHO]. / À propos d'un cas de SAPHO de localisation laryngée.

INTRODUCTION: Synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis (SAPHO) is a syndrome that combines dermatological, articular and osseous inflammatory manifestations. Bilateral laryngeal immobility relative to cricoarytenoid joint origin is very uncommon. This article presents a case of bilateral cricoarytenoid joint ankylosis in a SAPHO syndrome context. CASE REPORT: A 53-year-old patient presenting with a two year history of intermittent bouts of dyspnea. A SAPHO syndrome was discussed on repeated thoracic CT-scan. The link between dyspnea and SAPHO syndrome had not been made immediately given the absence of any known anteriority. However, having ruled out other etiologies and after having had to perform a tracheotomy due a worsening of the respiratory condition, this diagnosis was considered. Treatment by corticosteroids and infliximab permitted a clinical improvement of the patient. CONCLUSION: This clinical case report should increase awareness of possible cricoarytenoid joint involvement in SAPHO.

Long-term surgical results in microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm: efficacy, morbidity and quality of life.

Hemifacial spasm is a condition that may severely reduce patients' quality of life. Microvascular decompression is the neurosurgical treatment of choice. The objective of this work was to describe the efficacy and morbidity of microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm, evaluate the long-term efficacy on the quality of life and investigate prognostic factors for failure of the procedure. A retrospective study of 446 cases of hemifacial spasm treated by 511 retrosigmoid microvascular decompression over 22 years was conducted. Epidemiological, clinical and imaging findings, treatment modalities and outcomes of patients with pre- and postoperative HSF-8 quality of life questionnaire were studied. Success rate was 82% after first surgery and 91.6% after revision surgery. A low rate of perioperative morbidity was found. Facial palsy was mostly transient (5.5% transient and 0.2% permanent) and cochleovestibular deficit was seen in 4.8% of patients. Revision surgery increased nervous lesions (10.6% to 20.7%). Mean quality of life scores were significantly improved from 18 to 2 over 32, evaluated 7.3 years after surgery. Predictive factors of surgical failure were single conflicts (p = 0.041), atypical vasculo-nervous conflicts involving other vessel than postero-inferior cerebellar artery (p = 0.036), such as vein (p = 0.045), and other compression sites than root exit zone (p = 0.027). Retrosigmoid microvascular decompression is a safe and effective treatment of hemifacial spasm. Revision surgery is not to be excluded in case of failure, but does place patients at risk for more complications. Quality of life is improved in the long-term, indicating objective and subjective satisfaction.

Effects of microvascular decompression surgery on posture control: A case report in an elderly patient.

AIMS OF THE STUDY: We report the case of an 84-year-old woman with neurovascular conflict of the left cochleovestibular nerve. Prior to surgery, the patient complained of positional vertigo and dizziness for the past two years, and marked instability. Hearing loss and tinnitus were reported on the left side. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of microvascular decompression of the cochleovestibular nerve on posture control. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Evaluation of cochleovestibular function and posture control was performed before and after surgery. Postural performance was analyzed in static and dynamic conditions, with and without vision, and with optokinetic stimulation. Perception of the static visual vertical (SVV) was recorded in darkness. RESULTS: Positional vertigo and tinnitus disappeared immediately after the decompression. The SVV remained unchanged one week after the surgery. Speech intelligibility of the left ear was improved (30 dB), and the vestibular deficit on this side was also significantly reduced (54% versus 18%). However, the more spectacular result was the effect on postural control. This elderly patient improved her postural balance in both static and dynamic conditions, and became able to maintain her equilibrium in the more challenging dynamic conditions, with and without vision, as early as one week after the surgery, a postural performance that she had been unable to do preoperatively. CONCLUSION: This work is the first to show that the postural deficits resulting from neurovascular conflict of the cochleovestibular nerve are strongly improved after microvascular decompression.

Vestibular compensation following vestibular neurotomy.

OBJECTIVES: Four studies assessing vestibular compensation in Menière's disease patients undergoing unilateral vestibular neurotomy, using different analysis methods, are reviewed, with a focus on the different strategies used by patients according to their preoperative sensory preference. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four prospective studies performed in a university tertiary referral center were reviewed, measuring the pattern of vestibular compensation in Menière's disease patients before and after unilateral vestibular neurotomy on various assessment protocols: postural syndrome assessed on static posturography and gait analysis; perceptual syndrome assessed on subjective visual vertical perception; and oculomotor syndrome assessed on ocular cyclotorsion. RESULTS: Vestibular compensation occurred at variable intervals depending on the parameter investigated. Open-eye postural control and gait/walking returned to normal one month after neurotomy. Fine balance analysis found that visual perception of the vertical and ocular cyclotorsion impairment persisted at long-term follow-up. Clinical postural disturbance persisted only when visual afferents were cut off (eyes closed). These impairments were the expression of a postoperative change in postural strategy related to the new use of visual and non-visual references. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding pre-operative interindividual variation in balance strategy is critical to screening for postural instability and tailoring vestibular rehabilitation.