Short- and Long-Term Effect of Cochlear Implantation on Disabling Tinnitus in Single-Sided Deafness Patients: A Systematic Review.

Patients with single-sided deafness can experience an ipsilateral disabling tinnitus that has a major impact on individuals' social communication and quality of life. Cochlear implants appear to be superior to conventional treatments to alleviate tinnitus in single-sided deafness. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of cochlear implants in single-sided deafness with disabling tinnitus when conventional treatments fail to alleviate tinnitus (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022353292). All published studies in PubMed/MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases until December 2021 were included. A total of 474 records were retrieved, 31 studies were included and were divided into two categories according to whether tinnitus was assessed as a primary complaint or not. In all studies, cochlear implantation, evaluated using subjective validated tools, succeeded in reducing tinnitus significantly. Objective evaluation tools were less likely to be used but showed similar results. A short-(3 months) and long-(up to 72 months) term tinnitus suppression was reported. When the cochlear implant is disactivated, complete residual tinnitus inhibition was reported to persist up to 24 h. The results followed a similar pattern in studies where tinnitus was assesed as a primary complaint or not. In conclusion, the present review confirmed the effectiveness of cochlear implantation in sustainably reducing disabling tinnitus in single-sided deafness patients.

The Narrowed Internal Auditory Canal: A Distinct Etiology of Pediatric Vestibular Paroxysmia.

Vestibular paroxysmia (VP) is a disorder encountered in the pediatric population that etiology has been attributed to neurovascular cross-compression syndrome (NVCC). The purpose of this study was to report a new probable pathological condition, the narrowed internal auditory canal (IAC), which appears to be involved in the development of a clinical picture of VP in the pediatric population. A retrospective descriptive comparative study was conducted to compare clinical, electrophysiological, radiological, and therapeutic outcomes in both etiologies. Overall, 16 pediatric patients suffering from VP were included and divided into two groups: patients with narrowed internal auditory (Group 1) were compared to those with NVCC syndrome (Group 2). Patients in both groups were similar in terms of auditory complaints, as well as hearing, vestibular, and electrophysiological status. A narrowed IAC was encountered in the adolescent age category and females, especially those with rapid growth. The diagnosis requires a careful analysis of the shape and diameters of the IAC. Radiologic measurements in the axial plane do not seem to be sufficient to confirm the diagnosis, and, therefore, an analysis of diameters in the coronal plane is required. Treatment with sodium-channel blockers drugs showed promising results not only by relieving vertigo but also by normalizing the electrophysiological findings. In conclusion, a narrowed IAC can be considered in patients suffering from VP.

Superior Semicircular Canal Ampullae Dehiscence As Part of the Spectrum of the Third Window Abnormalities: A Case Study.

A 60-year-old man was referred to the ENT department for intense episodic vertigo triggered by loud sounds. Pure tone audiometry and otoneurological assessment, including videonystagmography using auditory stimulation and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential measures, conducted to the hypothesis of a third window syndrome in the left ear. Results from the high-resolution computed tomography of the petrous bone confirmed the hypothesis and revealed the presence of a submillimeter semicircular canal dehiscence, located between the left lateral and superior semicircular canal ampullae on the left side.