An uncommon cause of conductive hearing loss.

The current video presents the surgical management of a middle ear osteoma through a retroauricolar endocanalar approach, under local anesthesia. The video contains patient's medical history, pre-operative radiological evaluation, surgical approach to the lesion and clinical follow up.

Anaesthesia for ear surgery in remote or resource-constrained environments.

BACKGROUND: The successful provision of middle-ear surgery requires appropriate anaesthesia. This may take the form of local or general anaesthesia; both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Local anaesthesia is simple to administer and does not require the additional personnel required for general anaesthesia. In the low-resource setting, it can provide a very safe and effective means of allowing middle-ear surgery to be successfully completed. However, some middle-ear surgery is too complex to consider performing under local anaesthesia and here general anaesthesia will be required. CONCLUSION: This article highlights considerations for performing middle-ear surgery in a safe manner when the available resources may be more limited than those expected in high-income settings. There are situations where local anaesthesia with sedation may prove a useful compromise of the two techniques.

Bone Metabolic Markers in the Clinical Assessment of Patients with Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence.

BACKGROUND: Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) is a bony defect in the osseous shell of the petrous temporal bone. The pathophysiological association between osteoporosis and SSCD remains poorly understood. We investigated the relationship between bone metabolic markers and symptoms in patients with SSCD. METHODS: We collected patient demographics and clinical parameters for adult patients diagnosed with SSCD on high-resolution computed tomography scans. We used point-biserial correlation analysis to investigate the relationship between bone metabolic markers and symptoms in patients with SSCD. We compared clinical symptoms before and after surgical repair of SSCD through a middle fossa craniotomy using McNemar's test for paired comparisons of binary measures. RESULTS: We included a total of 99 patients (64 females and 35 males; average age 52 years; 118 surgeries). The level of serum calcium correlated with the need for a second surgery (rpb = -0.35, P = 0.001). Postoperative calcium supplementation negatively correlated with improvement in dizziness (rpb = -0.36, P = 0.01). The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D correlated with preoperative hyperacusis (rpb = -0.98, P = 0.02) and postoperative autophony (rpb = 0.96, P = 0.04). Postoperative vitamin D supplementation positively correlated with hearing decline (rpb = 0.04, P = 0.04) The level of thyroid stimulating hormone correlated with preoperative autophony, amplification, and tinnitus (rpb = -0.71, rpb = -0.75, rpb = -0.70, all P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Bone metabolic markers could be important in the clinical assessment of SSCD patients and could be potential targets for symptom management.

Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty under local anesthesia: Is it feasible?

OBJECTIVE: To study whether balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) is a feasible and safe procedure under local anesthesia. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective multicenter case-control study. METHODS: Patients undergoing either BET (n = 13) or endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) (n = 12) under local anesthesia, with the possibility of sedation and analgesia, were monitored during the procedure and recovery period for possible adverse effects. After the procedure, the patients responded to a questionnaire assessing their experience. RESULTS: No adverse effects were detected in the BET group. Patients in the BET group reported similar Visual Analog Scale scores for pain during the operation as the ESS group (5.0 ± 0.7 vs. 3.2 ± 0.7, mean ± standard error of the mean). However, patients in the BET group experienced more discomfort (4.2 ± 0.6 vs. 2.5 ± 0.3, respectively, P = 0.049). Seventy-seven and 92% of the patients in the BET and ESS groups, respectively, considered the anesthesia and pain relief to be sufficient. Patients from both the BET and ESS groups were almost devoid of pain 1 to 2 hours postoperatively (0.8 ± 0.2 and 1.4 ± 0.3, respectively). In total, 12 of 13 patients in the BET group, and all 12 patients in the ESS group, would choose local anesthesia with sedation and analgesia if they needed to undergo the same procedure again. CONCLUSION: BET is a safe and feasible procedure under monitored anesthesia care, including local anesthesia along with sedation and analgesia. There is need for further methodological improvement to reduce pain and discomfort during the operation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 127:1021-1025, 2017.

Audiologic changes after pinna augmentation.

No studies to date have objectively assessed whether pinna morphology affects sound intensity detected within the external auditory canal (EAC). Commonly performed procedures on the EAC are carried out for acquired and congenital pathology, together with correction of ear deformities. Our aim was to use an experimental model to identify whether a relationship exists between pinna shape and its subsequent effect on the hearing subject. An anatomically accurate and life-size model made of rubber composite was used for this study. Serial sections (small wedge, defect open; small wedge, defect closed; large wedge, defect open; large wedge, defect closed [equivalent to a protruding ear]; and pinnectomy) were undertaken, and the sound intensity changes assessed at the junction between the EAC and middle ear (tympanic membrane position) using an AURICAL Plus (Otometrics; Taastrup, Denmark) sound processor. A statistically significant loss was demonstrated for wedge-excised models, which was greatest at 180° azimuth. This loss was significantly reduced when the wedge defects were closed. A statistically significant improvement was demonstrated in the protruding ("bat") ear model compared with the normal ear at 0° azimuth. In this model, gain in sound intensity is adversely affected by pinna wedge resection. Because this change may be increased in those with protruding ears, this factor is important to consider for all cosmetic and noncosmetic operations to the pinna, and it supports the notion that the pinna is not a simple funnel.

Effect of Round Window Reinforcement on Hearing: A Temporal Bone Study With Clinical Implications for Surgical Reinforcement of the Round Window.

HYPOTHESIS: Round window reinforcement leads to conductive hearing loss. BACKGROUND: The round window is stiffened surgically as therapy for various conditions, including perilymphatic fistula and superior semicircular canal dehiscence. Round window reinforcement reduces symptoms in these patients. However, it also reduces fluid displacement in the cochlea and might therefore increase conductive hearing loss. METHODS: Perichondrium was applied to the round window membrane in nine fresh-frozen, nonpathologic temporal bones. In four temporal bones cartilage was applied subsequently. Acoustic stimuli in the form of frequency sweeps from 250 to 8000 Hz were generated at 110 dB sound pressure level. A total of 16 frequencies in a 1/3-octave series were used. Stapes velocities in response to the acoustic stimuli were measured at equally spaced multiple points covering the stapes footplate using a scanning laser Doppler interferometry system. Measurements were made at baseline, after applying perichondrium, and after applying cartilage. RESULTS: At frequencies up to 1000 Hz perichondrium reinforcement decreased stapes velocities by 1.5 to 2.9 dB compared with no reinforcement (p value = 0.003). Reinforcement with cartilage led to a further deterioration of stapes velocities by 2.6 to 4.2 dB at frequencies up to 1000 Hz (p value = 0.050). The higher frequencies were not affected by perichondrium reinforcement (p value = 0.774) or cartilage reinforcement (p value = 0.644). CONCLUSION: Our results seem to suggest a modest, clinically negligible effect of reinforcement with perichondrium. Placing cartilage on the round window resulted in a graded effect on stapes velocities in keeping with the increased stiffness of cartilage compared with perichondrium. Even so, the effect was relatively small.

[FEATURES OF OTOGENIC INTRACRANIAL COMPLICATIONS AT THE PRESENT STAGE].

A retrospective analysis of treatment was made in 127 adult patients with acute and chronic otitis media complicated by suppurative-inflammatory pathology of the brain. Purulent meningitis was revealed in 52 (40.9%) of hospitalized patients. Meningoencephalitis was often diagnosed in the cases of acute otitis media (15.4%) and in cases of chronic otitis (22.7%). The otogenic brain abscess was detected in 13.5% of otitis media cases and it was noted to be twice frequent (33.3%) in cases of purulent otitis media. The patients 124 (97.6%) have been operated. An extended mastoidotomy and antromastoidotomy were performed in the acute purulent otitis media. An extended radical operation on the ear was applied in case of chronic otitis media. Performance of craniotomy and complete removal of the abscess using modern systems of neuronavigation showed a higher clinical efficacy as compared with transtemporal approach during sanitizing intervention on the ear including the opening and abscess drainage in surgery of otogenic abscesses of the brain.

Conscious sedation and local anesthesia for patients undergoing neurotologic and complex otologic procedures.

OBJECTIVE: Is conscious sedation an effective, safe, and efficient anesthetic choice in patients undergoing select neurotologic and otologic procedures? STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Six patients underwent eight neurotologic procedures including cerebrospinal fluid leak and encephalocele repair, and primary and revision cochlear implant surgery. Patients were deemed poor candidates for general anesthesia secondary to medical comorbidities. These were compared to 11 control patients who underwent same procedures under general anesthesia with intubation. INTERVENTION: Dexmedetomidine infusion was utilized as the primary agent for conscious sedation in this high-risk patient population because, unlike other commonly used sedatives, it preserves normal respirations while providing adequate analgesia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Preoperative Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and Morbidity (P-POSSUM) scores were calculated for the study group. We measured total anesthesia, and perioperative and recovery times. Cost of anesthetic agents was considered and any adverse effects were noted. Patient satisfaction with the operative experience was assessed with telephone surveys. RESULTS: P-POSSUM scores were high for the study group. Postoperative anesthesia was shorter for the study patients undergoing conscious sedation. Difference in cost of anesthetic agents was negligible. The adverse effects were few and as expected for the type of procedure. Patients reported satisfaction and comfort with their operative experience. CONCLUSION: Select neurotologic and otologic procedures can be safely, effectively, and efficiently performed under conscious sedation with dexmedetomidine infusion as the primary anesthetic choice for patients who are deemed poor medical candidates for general endotracheal anesthesia.

Hearing stimulation of the pediatric patient with congenital aural atresia: surgical and audiological evaluation of 38 patients.

The aim of this work is to stress the importance of and discuss the timing and options for the treatment of congenital aural atresia (CAA), including non-surgical alternative treatment modalities and amplification, and to report the audiological and surgical results of a series of patients. Thirty-eight children with CAA were evaluated with regard to hearing and anatomical anomalies accompanying CAA: the state of the ossicles and the facial nerve, postoperative complications and audiological results. The ages of the patients ranged between 4 and 18 years, with a mean of 10 years. All underwent surgical treatment; 32 had unilateral atresia, while 6 had bilateral atresia. The mean follow-up duration was 7 months. The facial canal was dehiscent in 36.8% of cases. In 70.2% cases, the malleus and incus were present as an ossicular mass, fixed and attached to the atretic bone. The stapes was normal in 97.3% of the patients; in 2.7% the suprastructure was deformed. The success rate, defined as an air-bone gap of 20 dB or less, was 63.1% in this series of patients. If atresia is bilateral, very early hearing stimulation to prevent the maldevelopment of children's speech and cognitive skills is of the utmost importance. In unilateral cases, surgery may be postponed until early adulthood, when the patient is able to make his/her own decision and cooperate in the treatment and postoperative aspects.

Mastoid surgery under local anesthesia for medically unfit patients: techniques and outcome.

OBJECTIVES: We present the surgical techniques and outcomes of mastoid surgery under local anesthesia in patients who were unfit for general anesthesia. METHODS: Five tertiary-referred patients with multiple comorbidities and failed conservative treatment for chronic otitis media were operated on under local anesthesia. No sedation was administered. The principles of cholesteatoma surgery were observed, but the technique was adapted to keep surgical time to a minimum. RESULTS: None of the patients had perioperative problems, and all have dry, waterproof ears with preservation of hearing after surgery. So far, none of the patients have had recurrent or residual disease. CONCLUSIONS: Cholesteatoma surgery can be successfully performed with a local anesthetic in patients who are medically unfit for general anesthesia. Surgery requires a good coordination of the operating team in order to shorten the operating time. Otologists should develop and maintain their skills by performing ear surgery with local anesthetic on a regular basis.

Audiovisual distraction reduces pain perception during aural microsuction.

INTRODUCTION: Aural microsuction is a common ear, nose and throat procedure used in the outpatient setting. Some patients, however, find it difficult to tolerate owing to discomfort, pain or noise. This study evaluated the effect of audiovisual distraction on patients' pain perception and overall satisfaction. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted for patients attending our aural care clinic requiring aural toileting of bilateral mastoid cavities over a three-month period. All microsuction was performed by a single clinical nurse specialist. Any patients with active infection were excluded. For each patient, during microsuction of one ear, they watched the procedure on a television screen while for the other ear they did not view the procedure. All patients received the same real time explanations during microsuction of both ears. After the procedure, each patient completed a visual analogue scale (VAS) to rate the pain they experienced for each ear, with and without access to the television screen. They also documented their preference and reasons why. RESULTS: A total of 37 patients were included in the study. The mean pain score for patients viewing the procedure was 2.43 compared with a mean of 3.48 for patients with no television view. This difference in patients' pain perception was statistically lower in the group who observed the procedure on the television (p=0.003), consistent with the majority of patients reporting a preference to viewing their procedure (65%). CONCLUSIONS: Audiovisual distraction significantly lowered patients' VAS pain scores during aural microsuction. This simple intervention can therefore reduce patients' perceived pain and help improve acceptance of this procedure.

Registration of a validated mechanical atlas of middle ear for surgical simulation.

This paper is centered on the development of a new training and rehearsal simulation system for middle ear surgery. First, we have developed and validated a mechanical atlas based on finite element method of the human middle ear. The atlas is based on a microMRI. Its mechanical behavior computed in real-time has been successfully validated. In addition, we propose a method for the registration of the mechanical atlas on patient imagery. The simulation can be used for a rehearsal surgery with the geometrical anatomy of a given patient and with mechanical data that are validated. Moreover, this process does not necessitate a complete re-built of the model.

[Local antibacterial therapy for the inflammatory diseases of the external and middle ear].

The objective of the present study was to estimate the efficacy and safety of candibioic designed for the treatment of the patients presenting with diffuse otitis externa and chronic otitis media. The open randomized trial included 40 patients with diffuse otitis externa and 40 ones with chronic otitis media who had undergone a surgical sanitation procedure. Their standard clinical and otorhinolaryngological examination was supplemented by the characteristic of clinical symptoms and personal complaints using the 10-score scale. The composite preparation candibiotic was found to be equally effective for the treatment of both diffuse otitis externa and chronic otitis media. The results of the study give reason to recommend the use of candibiotic as an efficacious and safe drug for the treatment of these conditions.

Clinical use of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in the evaluation of patients with air-bone gaps.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the value of vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) test in clinical evaluation of air-bone gaps. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: A total of 120 patients underwent VEMP testing during clinical investigation of significant air-bone gaps in their audiograms. INTERVENTION(S): Otologic examination and surgeries, high-resolution computerized tomography (CT), air and bone audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex, and VEMP test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Imaging studies demonstrating structural anomalies in the temporal bone. Audiologic outcomes of air-bone gaps and VEMP thresholds. Surgical findings confirming imaging results. RESULTS: Middle ear pathologies, such as otosclerosis and chronic otitis media, were identified in 50 patients, and all of them had absent VEMP responses elicited by air-conduction stimuli. Moreover, 13 of them had successful middle ear surgeries with closures of the air-bone gaps. Abnormally low VEMP thresholds were found in 71 of 73 ears with inner ear anomalies, such as semicircular canal dehiscence and enlarged vestibular aqueduct. Seven patients with superior semicircular canal dehiscence underwent plugging procedure via middle fossa approach, and VEMP thresholds became normalized after the surgery in 3 of them. VEMP test failed to provide accurate diagnosis in only 3 cases. CONCLUSION: Air-bone gaps may be a result of various otologic pathologies, and the VEMP test is useful during clinical evaluation, better than tympanometry and acoustic reflexes. To avoid unnecessary middle ear surgery for air-bone gaps with unknown or unsure cause, VEMP test should be used in the differential diagnosis before an expensive imaging study.

Laser Eustachian tuboplasty: efficiency evaluation in the pressure chamber.

OBJECTIVE: Laser Eustachian tuboplasty (LETP) with ablation of the epipharyngeal orifice of the Eustachian tube (ET) shows good results in clinical observation. However, to this day, there are no reports evaluating the surgical procedure with valid test methods. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of minimally invasive LETP by means of a pressure chamber ET function test. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective surgical trial. SETTING: Tertiary and university hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty patients with a history of ET dysfunction during pressure changes were examined. INTERVENTION: Minimally invasive LETP was performed with an 812-nm diode laser under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The ET function was tested preoperatively and postoperatively by pressure chamber ET function test. Eustachian tube closing pressure (ETCP) was evaluated as a measure of the tissue pressure of the ET. In cases of a severely impaired ET function, a "blocked" pattern was evident, and no measurement of ETCP was possible. RESULTS: Before minimally invasive LETP, 17 patients showed a completely blocked pattern. Postoperatively, 13 patients of this group showed an improved ET function with a restored normal opening pattern (p < 0.001). The ETCP was reduced from 6.24 ± 3.46 mbar preoperatively to 4.06 ± 2.36 mbar postoperatively (p < 0.013). CONCLUSION: The results strongly indicate that the effect of minimally invasive LETP can be proven by measuring the ET function in a pressure chamber. Results must be interpreted in combination with clinical methods like Valsalva maneuver and tympanometry. Patients with ET dysfunction during pressure changes seem to benefit from the minimally invasive LETP.

Toward safer practice in otology: a report on 15 years of clinical negligence claims.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To determine the characteristics of medical negligence claims arising from otological practice. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of medical negligence claims contained in the National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHSLA) database. METHODS: Claims relating to otology and neurotology between 1995 and 2010 were obtained from the NHSLA database and analyzed for cause of injury, type of injury, outcome of claim and costs. RESULTS: Over 15 years there were 137 claims in otology, representing 26% of all the claims in otolaryngology. Of these, 116 have been closed, and 84% of closed claims resulted in payment. Of the 97 successful claims, 63 were related to operative complications. This included six cases of wrong side/site surgery, and 15 cases of inadequate informed consent. The most common injuries claimed were hearing loss, facial paralysis, and additional/unnecessary surgery. Middle ear ventilation and mastoid surgery were the procedures most commonly associated with a successful claim. There were 15 successful claims of misdiagnosis/delayed diagnosis, with chronic suppurative otitis media the condition most frequently missed. There were nine successful claims related to outpatient procedures, of which seven were for aural toilet and six claims of medical mismanagement, including three cases of ototoxicity from topical medications. There were also four successful claims for morbidity due to delayed surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to report outcomes of negligence claims in otology. Claims in otology are associated with a high success rate. A significant proportion of claims are not related to surgery and represent areas where safety should also be addressed.

Evaluation of the usefulness of a silicone tube connected to a microphone in monitoring noise levels induced by drilling during mastoidectomy and cochleostomy.

CONCLUSION: The use of a silicone tube and a microphone enables peroperative noise recordings in cadavers and should be safe to apply in vivo. Our preliminary data indicate that noise levels during inner ear surgery reach levels that can cause noise-induced hearing loss. Our method is easily performed and enables future uncomplicated and safe noise recordings and we suggest future application in vivo to expand knowledge regarding peroperative noise levels. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and utility of a silicone tube connected to a microphone probe in noise recordings during middle ear surgery and to achieve preliminary results regarding drill-related noise levels. METHODS: Peroperative noise recordings were obtained during mastoidectomy and at the round window during cochleostomy in a cadaver model by means of a silicone tube connected to a microphone and a Matlab(®) computer program. RESULTS: Our method enabled recordings of radiated noise levels close to the drill ranging from 84 to 125 dB SPL during drilling in cortical bone and from 85 to 117 dB during drilling in the mastoid cavity. During cochleostomy noise levels ranged from 114 to 128 dB SPL when recordings were made close to the round window. Maximal noise levels were underestimated due to microphone overload above 80 Pa.

Radiographic anatomy of the infracochlear approach to the petrous apex for computer-assisted surgery.

OBJECTIVE: 1) To define the surgical anatomy and dimensions of the infracochlear approach to the petrous apex through the use of high-resolution computed tomography and 2) use of digitized images of cadaveric temporal bones for computer simulation of infracochlear access using the Ohio Supercomputer Center/Ohio State University temporal bone simulator. BACKGROUND: The petrous apex is a surgically challenging area to access. Many routes have been described and used successfully in clinical practice. However, these routes have not been defined with the aim of application in computer-assisted surgery. The infracochlear approach, due to its access via a transcanal route, affords the opportunity for its potential application in minimally invasive computer-assisted surgery. METHODS: High-resolution computed tomographic scans were performed on 102 cadaveric skulls (204 temporal bones). Standard measurements were taken using an open-source picture archiving and communication system software of the maximum height, width, and depth of the infracochlear approach. In addition, the maximum diameter of a circular fenestration that could be created in the infracochlear space without breaching the basal turn of the cochlea, internal carotid artery, or the jugular bulb was used to simulate a drill path. In addition, 5 temporal bone specimens (3 left, 2 right) underwent high-resolution computed tomography, with the digitized images being used to create simulated temporal bones for infracochlear surgical access; the transcanal infracochlear approach was then performed by the same surgeon on the cadaveric bone. RESULTS: The mean height, width, and depth of the infracochlear space in temporal bones with nonpneumatized petrous apices were 7.2 +/- 0.4, 9.4 +/- 0.8, and 17.5 +/- 1.0 mm, respectively. Corresponding dimensions in pneumatized petrous apices were 7.6 +/- 0.4, 10.1 +/- 1.1, and 18.6 +/- 0.8 mm, respectively. The mean diameter of the circular fenestra in the nonpneumatized petrous apices was 5.1 +/- 0.4 compared with 5.7 +/- 0.6 mm in pneumatized petrous pieces. This was statistically significant (unpaired t test; p value = 0.04). The time to perform a simulated infracochlear approach to the petrous apex ranged from 3.1 to 12.6 minutes (mean, 6.1 minutes). The time to perform the same approach on the cadaveric bone ranged from 4.32 to 14.1 minutes (mean, 9.3 minutes). CONCLUSION: Temporal bones with pneumatized petrous apices have an overall larger infracochlear space. The mean diameter of a circular infracochlear path that would avoid damage to vital structures was sufficiently large in both pneumatized and nonpneumatized petrous apices to have a potential application as a safe approach in computer-assisted surgery. Such an application is feasible with mating of a robotic system with computed tomographic- or magnetic resonance imaging-guided imagery, which is the next phase of this study.

[Improvement of efficacy of electroacoustic hearing correction in patients after radical surgery on the middle ear].

Sound pressure was measured in the ears of 95 patients who had a cavity after radical operation of the middle ear. Changes of normal architectonics of the middle ear entail changes in resonance characteristics of the ear which must be considered in electroacoustic hearing correction. Effects of various modifications of ear insert on frequency characteristics were estimated.