Reverse Correlation Characterizes More Complete Tinnitus Spectra in Patients.

Goal: We validate a recent reverse correlation approach to tinnitus characterization by applying it to individuals with clinically-diagnosed tinnitus. Methods: Two tinnitus patients assessed the subjective similarity of their non-tonal tinnitus percepts and random auditory stimuli. Regression of the responses onto the stimuli yielded reconstructions which were evaluated qualitatively by playing back resynthesized waveforms to the subjects and quantitatively by response prediction analysis. Results: Subject 1 preferred their resynthesis to white noise; subject 2 did not. Response prediction balanced accuracies were significantly higher than chance across subjects: subject 1: 0.5963, subject 2: 0.6922. Conclusion: Reverse correlation can provide the foundation for reconstructing accurate representations of complex, non-tonal tinnitus in clinically diagnosed subjects. Further refinements may yield highly similar waveforms to individualized tinnitus percepts.

Comparative utility of vestibular function tests in patients with peripheral and central vestibular dysfunction.

Background: Bithermal caloric irrigation, video head impulse test (vHIT), and rotational testing are commonly used to assess peripheral vestibular function, but the relative clinical utility of each test in differentiating patients with peripheral vestibulopathy is debated. Objectives: To determine whether (1) the combination of two or more vestibular tests enhances diagnostic utility over a single test; (2) abnormal test results on vestibular tests correlate with one another. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data collected from multidisciplinary vestibular clinics at two academic medical centers from 2016 to 2022. Results: 150 patients (54.10 ± 15.09 years, 88 females) were included. No individual test was significantly better at predicting the presence of peripheral vestibular damage (p > 0.05). vHIT test results improved significantly when combined with either the caloric test (p = 0.007) or rotary chair test (p = 0.039). Caloric and rotational testing had high sensitivity (74.65% and 76.06%, respectively) and specificity (83.54% and 78.48%, respectively). vHIT demonstrated excellent specificity (89.87%) but poor sensitivity (47.89%). Caloric, vHIT, and rotary chair tests results did not correlate with one another (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Vestibular function tests have comparable diagnostic utility, yet each offers unique advantages. Caloric and rotational testing may be best suited for screening peripheral damage and vHIT may function ideally as a confirmatory test.

Music Perception in Bone-Anchored Hearing Implant Users.

OBJECTIVE: Music is a highly complex acoustic stimulus in both spectral and temporal contents. Accurate representation and delivery of high-fidelity information are essential for music perception. However, it is unclear how well bone-anchored hearing implants (BAHIs) transmit music. The study objective is to establish music perception performance baselines for BAHI users and normal hearing (NH) listeners and compare outcomes between the cohorts. METHODS: A case-controlled, cross-sectional study was conducted among 18 BAHI users and 11 NH controls. Music perception was assessed via performance on seven major musical element tasks: pitch discrimination, melodic contour identification, rhythmic clocking, basic tempo discrimination, timbre identification, polyphonic pitch detection, and harmonic chord discrimination. RESULTS: BAHI users performed comparably well on all music perception tasks with their device compared with the unilateral condition with their better-hearing ear. BAHI performance was not statistically significantly different from NH listeners' performance. BAHI users performed just as well, if not better than NH listeners when using their control contralateral ear; there was no significant difference between the two groups except for the rhythmic timing (BAHI non-implanted ear 69% [95% CI: 62%-75%], NH 56% [95% CI: 49%-63%], p = 0.02), and basic tempo tasks (BAHI non-implanted ear 80% [95% CI: 65%-95%]; NH 75% [95% CI: 68%-82%, p = 0.03]). CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the first comprehensive study of basic music perception performance in BAHI users. Our results demonstrate that BAHI users perform as well with their implanted ear as with their contralateral better-hearing ear and NH controls in the major elements of music perception. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:1381-1387, 2024.

Vestibular damage affects the precision and accuracy of navigation in a virtual visual environment.

Vestibular information is available to the brain during navigation, as are the other self-generated (idiothetic) and external (allothetic) sensorimotor cues that contribute to central estimates of position and motion. Rodent studies provide strong evidence that vestibular information contributes to navigation but human studies have been less conclusive. Furthermore, sex-based differences have been described in human navigation studies performed with the head stationary, a situation where dynamic vestibular (and other idiothetic) information is absent, but sex differences in the utilization of vestibular information have not been described. Here, we studied men and women with severe bilateral vestibular damage as they navigated through a visually barren virtual reality environment and compared their performance to normal men and women. Two navigation protocols were employed, which either activated dynamic idiothetic cues ('dynamic task', navigate by turning, walking in place) or eliminated them ('static task', navigate with key presses, head stationary). For both protocols, we employed a standard 'triangle completion task' in which subjects moved to two visual targets in series and then were required to return to their perceived starting position without localizing visual information. The angular and linear 'accuracy' (derived from response error) and 'precision' (derived from response variability) were calculated. Comparing performance 'within tasks', navigation on the dynamic paradigm was worse in male vestibular-deficient patients than in normal men but vestibular-deficient and normal women were equivalent; on the static paradigm, vestibular-deficient men (but not women) performed better than normal subjects. Comparing performance 'between tasks', normal men performed better on the dynamic than the static paradigm while vestibular-deficient men and both normal and vestibular-deficient women were equivalent on both tasks. Statistical analysis demonstrated that for the angular precision metric, sex had a significant effect on the interaction between vestibular status and the test paradigm. These results provide evidence that humans use vestibular information when they navigate in a virtual visual environment and that men and women may utilize vestibular (and visual) information differently. On our navigation paradigm, men used vestibular information to improve navigation performance, and in the presence of severe vestibular damage, they utilized visual information more effectively. In contrast, we did not find evidence that women used vestibular information while navigating on our virtual task, nor did we find evidence that they improved their utilization of visual information in the presence of severe vestibular damage.

Ear, Nose, and Throat Manifestations of Vasculitis and Other Systemic Autoimmune Diseases: Otologic, Sinus, and Airway.

Auricular, nasal, and laryngeal manifestations occur frequently in rheumatic diseases. Inflammatory ear, nose, and throat (ENT) processes often result in organ damage and have profound effects on quality of life. Herein, we review the otologic, nasal, and laryngeal involvement of rheumatic diseases, focusing on their clinical presentation and diagnosis. ENT manifestations generally respond to treatment of the systemic disease, which is outside the scope of this review; however, adjunctive topical and surgical treatment approaches, as well as treatment of idiopathic inflammatory ENT manifestations will be reviewed.

Reverse Correlation Uncovers More Complete Tinnitus Spectra.

Goal: This study validates an approach to characterizing the sounds experienced by tinnitus patients via reverse correlation, with potential for characterizing a wider range of sounds than currently possible. Methods: Ten normal-hearing subjects assessed the subjective similarity of random auditory stimuli and target tinnitus-like sounds ("buzzing" and "roaring"). Reconstructions of the targets were obtained by regressing subject responses on the stimuli, and were compared for accuracy to the frequency spectra of the targets using Pearson's [Formula: see text]. Results: Reconstruction accuracy was significantly higher than chance across subjects: buzzing: [Formula: see text] (mean [Formula: see text] s.d.), [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]; roaring: [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]; combined: [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. Conclusion: Reverse correlation can accurately reconstruct non-tonal tinnitus-like sounds in normal-hearing subjects, indicating its potential for characterizing the sounds experienced by patients with non-tonal tinnitus.

Influence of listening environment on usage patterns in cochlear implant patients with single-sided deafness.

OBJECTIVE: To compare cochlear implant (CI) data logging of patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (biSNHL) in various acoustic environments and study the implications of data logging on auditory performance. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case control study. METHODS: Adult CI patients with SSD or biSNHL from 2010 to 2021 with usage data collected at 3-, 6-, and 12-months following device activation were identified. The CI listening environment was defined as speech in noise, speech in quiet, quiet, music or noise. Auditory performance was measured using the CNC word, AzBio sentence tests and the Tinnitus Handicap Index (THI). RESULTS: 60 adults with SSD or biSNHL were included. CI patients with biSNHL wore their devices more than those with SSD at 3-months post-activation (11.18 versus 8.97 hours/day, p = 0.04), though there were no significant differences at 6-12 months. Device usage was highest in the speech in quiet environment. In SSD CI users, there was a positive correlation (p = 0.03) between device use and CNC scores at 12-months and an improvement in THI scores at 12-months (p = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: CI users with SSD and biSNHL have comparable duration of device usage at longer follow-up periods with greatest device usage recorded in speech in quiet environments.

Otolith Membrane Herniation, not Semicircular Canal Duct Dilation, Is Associated with Decreased Caloric Responses in Ménière's Disease.

Ménière's disease (MD) is a debilitating disorder with unclear pathophysiology whose diagnosis often relies on clinical judgment rather than objective testing. To complicate matters further, a dissociation has emerged between two vestibular function tests commonly used in patients with MD to examine the same end-organ (the semicircular canals): the caloric test and video head impulse testing (vHIT). Caloric responses are often abnormal, while vHIT results remain normal. Explaining this dissociation could reveal novel insights into MD pathophysiology. Here, we conduct a histopathological study using temporal bone specimens (N = 58, 21 MD-affected ears and 37 age-matched controls) and their clinical testing data to examine current hypotheses aimed at this dissociation. We find otolith membrane herniation into the horizontal semicircular canal in 69% of MD ears, with 90% of these ears demonstrating a diminished caloric response. No ears with a normal response had this herniation. Moreover, we evaluated the semicircular canals for endolymphatic hydrops, which had been hypothesized to contribute to the dissociation, and found no evidence of duct dilation/hydrops. We did, however, note a potentially novel morphologic finding-smaller bony labyrinth cross-sectional diameters/areas in some MD ear canals compared to controls, suggesting relative size of the membranous duct to the bony canal rather than absolute size may be of importance. Taken together, this study refines hypotheses on the vestibular test dissociation in MD, holding diagnostic implications and expanding our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this enigmatic disease.

Visuospatial Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients with Vestibular Loss.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize visuospatial and nonvisuospatial cognitive domains affected by vestibular loss and determine whether patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) correlate with performance on neuropsychological tests. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University-based tertiary medical center. PATIENTS: Sixty-nine age-matched subjects: 25 patients with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL), 14 patients with unilateral vestibular loss (UVL), and 30 normal controls (NC). INTERVENTIONS: Neuropsychological tests used to assess visuospatial and auditory short-term and working memory, number magnitude representation, executive function, and attention. Validated PROMs used to evaluate quality of life and subjective cognitive impairment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Performance on neuropsychological tests and scores on PROM surveys. RESULTS: BVL and UVL patients performed significantly worse than NC subjects on tasks requiring visuospatial representation compared with NC subjects ( p < 0.01). BVL patients demonstrated decreased performance on spatial representation tasks compared with UVL and NC subjects ( p < 0.05 and p < 0.05, respectively). All subject groups performed similarly on tasks assessing nonvisuospatial cognitive domains, such as auditory short-term and working memory, executive function, and attention. PROMs did not seem to correlate with performance on neuropsychological tasks. CONCLUSION: Patients with vestibular loss exhibit impairments in tasks requiring visuospatial representation but perform similarly to NC subjects in tasks of auditory working memory, executive function, or attention. Currently available questionnaires may be insufficient to screen patients for cognitive deficits.

Evidence for cognitive impairment in patients with vestibular disorders.

OBJECTIVE:  Extensive animal research has shown that vestibular damage can be associated with cognitive deficits. More recently, new evidence has emerged linking vestibular disorders to cognitive impairment in humans. Herein, we review contemporary research on the pathophysiology of cognitive-vestibular interactions and discuss its emerging clinical relevance. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. REVIEW METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed with combinations of search terms: "cognition," "cognitive impairment," "chronic fatigue," "brain fog," "spatial navigation," "attention," "memory," "executive function," "processing speed," and "vestibular hypofunction." Relevant articles were considered for inclusion, including basic and clinical studies, case series, and major reviews. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with vestibular disorders can demonstrate long-term deficits in both spatial and nonspatial cognitive domains. The underlying mechanism(s) linking the vestibular system to cognitive function is not well characterized, but several neuro-biologic correlates have been identified. Additional screening tools are required to identify individuals at risk for cognitive impairment, and further research is needed to determine whether treatment of vestibular dysfunction has the capacity to improve cognitive function. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Physicians should be aware of emerging data supporting the presence of cognitive deficits in patients with vestibular disorders. Prevention and treatment of long-term cognitive deficits may be possible through screening and rehabilitation.

Cochlear implants: Causes, effects and mitigation strategies for the foreign body response and inflammation.

Cochlear implants provide effective auditory rehabilitation for patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Recent advances in cochlear implant technology and surgical approaches have enabled a greater number of patients to benefit from this technology, including those with significant residual low frequency acoustic hearing. Nearly all cochleae implanted with a cochlear implant electrode array develop an inflammatory and fibrotic response. This tissue reaction can have deleterious consequences for implant function, residual acoustic hearing, and the development of the next generation of cochlear prosthetics. This article reviews the current understanding of the inflammatory/foreign body response (FBR) after cochlear implant surgery, its impact on clinical outcome, and therapeutic strategies to mitigate this response. Findings from both in human subjects and animal models across a variety of species are highlighted. Electrode array design, surgical techniques, implant materials, and the degree and type of electrical stimulation are some critical factors that affect the FBR and inflammation. Modification of these factors and various anti-inflammatory pharmacological interventions have been shown to mitigate the inflammatory/FBR response. Ongoing and future approaches that seek to limit surgical trauma and curb the FBR to the implanted biomaterials of the electrode array are discussed. A better understanding of the anatomical, cellular and molecular basis of the inflammatory/FBR response after cochlear implantation has the potential to improve the outcome of current cochlear implants and also facilitate the development of the next generation of neural prostheses.

A Rare Complication of Chronic Otitis Media: Central Skull Base Osteomyelitis Managed With Combined Endoscopic Transmastoid and Transsphenoidal Debridement.

OBJECTIVE: This report describes a case of otogenic central skull base osteomyelitis (CSBO) requiring complex surgical intervention and reviews the literature on management of this entity. PATIENT: A 76-year-old man presented with a nearly 20-year history of chronic otomastoiditis and cholesteatoma with ultimate progression to severe CSBO with involvement of the petrous apex, clivus, and craniocervical junction. INTERVENTIONS: CSBO was managed with culture-directed antibiotic therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, and surgical intervention including serial combined endoscopic transmastoid and transsphenoidal debridements. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptom resolution, antibiotic holiday, and stable disease on surveillance imaging. RESULTS: With antibiotic treatment and surgical debridement including creation of a drainage pathway from the skull base to the sphenoid sinus, intermittent stretches of disease quiescence were realized over the course of nearly a decade. Despite extensive debridement and skull base reconstruction, the patient ultimately succumbed to the disease process. CONCLUSIONS: CSBO poses significant management challenges to the otologist. Herein, we present a rare case of CSBO managed over a prolonged period of time with antibiotics and combined anterior and lateral skull base debridement.

Assessment of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss After COVID-19 Vaccination.

IMPORTANCE: Emerging reports of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) after COVID-19 vaccination within the otolaryngological community and the public have raised concern about a possible association between COVID-19 vaccination and the development of SSNHL. OBJECTIVE: To examine the potential association between COVID-19 vaccination and SSNHL. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study and case series involved an up-to-date population-based analysis of 555 incident reports of probable SSNHL in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) over the first 7 months of the US vaccination campaign (December 14, 2020, through July 16, 2021). In addition, data from a multi-institutional retrospective case series of 21 patients who developed SSNHL after COVID-19 vaccination were analyzed. The study included all adults experiencing SSNHL within 3 weeks of COVID-19 vaccination who submitted reports to VAERS and consecutive adult patients presenting to 2 tertiary care centers and 1 community practice in the US who were diagnosed with SSNHL within 3 weeks of COVID-19 vaccination. EXPOSURES: Receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine produced by any of the 3 vaccine manufacturers (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson) used in the US. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Incidence of reports of SSNHL after COVID-19 vaccination recorded in VAERS and clinical characteristics of adult patients presenting with SSNHL after COVID-19 vaccination. RESULTS: A total of 555 incident reports in VAERS (mean patient age, 54 years [range, 15-93 years]; 305 women [55.0%]; data on race and ethnicity not available in VAERS) met the definition of probable SSNHL (mean time to onset, 6 days [range, 0-21 days]) over the period investigated, representing an annualized incidence estimate of 0.6 to 28.0 cases of SSNHL per 100 000 people per year. The rate of incident reports of SSNHL was similar across all 3 vaccine manufacturers (0.16 cases per 100 000 doses for both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, and 0.22 cases per 100 000 doses for Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine). The case series included 21 patients (mean age, 61 years [range, 23-92 years]; 13 women [61.9%]) with SSNHL, with a mean time to onset of 6 days (range, 0-15 days). Patients were heterogeneous with respect to clinical and demographic characteristics. Preexisting autoimmune disease was present in 6 patients (28.6%). Of the 14 patients with posttreatment audiometric data, 8 (57.1%) experienced improvement after receiving treatment. One patient experienced SSNHL 14 days after receiving each dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study, findings from an updated analysis of VAERS data and a case series of patients who experienced SSNHL after COVID-19 vaccination did not suggest an association between COVID-19 vaccination and an increased incidence of hearing loss compared with the expected incidence in the general population.

"Transcanal view" computed tomography reformat: Applications for transcanal endoscopic ear surgery.

PURPOSE: Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) is an increasingly used surgical approach for otologic surgeries, but no en face preoperative imaging format currently exists. We aim to assess the utility of a transcanal high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) reformat suitable for TEES preoperative planning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preoperative HRCTs of patients with middle ear pathologies (cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, and glomus tympanicum) who underwent TEES were obtained. Axial image series were rotated and reformatted -90 or +90 degrees for left and right ear surgeries, respectively, where additional rotation along the left-right axis was performed to align the transcanal series with the plane of the external auditory canal. Quantitative measurements of middle ear structures were recorded. Consecutive transcanal reformatted sections were then reviewed to identify critical middle ear anatomy and pathology with corresponding TEES cases. RESULTS: The aforementioned methodology was used to create three transcanal view HRCTs. The mean left-right axis degree of rotation was 4.0 ± 2.2 degrees. In the cholesteatoma transcanal HRCT, areas of cholesteatoma involvement in middle ear compartments (e.g. epitympanum) and eroded ossicles were successfully identified in the corresponding case. In the otosclerosis transcanal HRCT, areas for potential otosclerotic involvement were visualized such as the round window as well as a low-hanging facial nerve. In the glomus tympanicum transcanal HRCT, the span of the glomus tympanicum was successfully visualized in addition to a high riding jugular bulb. CONCLUSION: A transcanal HRCT reformat may aid preoperative planning for middle ear pathologies. This novel reformat may help highlight patient-specific anatomy.

Otoendoscopes to Enhance Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: As telemedicine has become increasingly utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic, portable otoendoscopy offers a method to perform an ear examination at home. The objective of this pilot study was to assess the quality of otoendoscopic images obtained by non-medical individuals and to determine the effect of a simple training protocol on image quality. METHODS: Non-medical participants were recruited and asked to capture images of the tympanic membrane before and after completion of a training module, as well as complete a survey about their experience using the otoendoscope. Images were de-identified, randomized, and evaluated by 6 otolaryngologists who were blinded as to whether training had been performed prior to the image capture. Images were rated using a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Completion of a training module resulted in a significantly higher percentage of tympanic membrane visible on otoendoscopic images, as well as increased physician confidence in identifying middle ear effusion/infection, cholesteatoma, and deferring an in-person otoscopy (P < .0001). However, even with improved image quality, in most cases, physicians reported that they would not feel comfortable using the images to for diagnosis or to defer an in-person examination. Most participants reported that the otoendoscope was simple to use and that they would feel comfortable paying for the device. CONCLUSIONS: At-home otoendoscopes can offer a sufficient view of the tympanic membrane in select cases. The use of a simple training tool can significantly improve image quality, though often not enough to replace an in-person otoscopic exam.

Implementation of Mobile Audiometry During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the utility of portable audiometry became more apparent as elective procedures were deferred in an effort to limit exposure to health care providers. Herein, we retrospectively evaluated mobile-based audiometry in the emergency department and outpatient otology and audiology clinics. Air conduction thresholds with mobile audiometry were within 5 dB in 66% of tests (95% CI, 62.8%-69.09%) and within 10 dB in 84% of tests (95% CI, 81.4%-86.2%) as compared with conventional audiometry. No significant differences were noted between mobile-based and conventional audiometry at any frequencies, except 8 kHz (P < .05). The sensitivity and specificity for screening for hearing loss were 94.3% (95% CI, 91.9%-96.83%) and 92.3% (95% CI, 90.1%-94.4%), respectively. While automated threshold audiometry does not replace conventional audiometry, mobile audiometry is a promising screening tool when conventional audiometry is not available.

Efficacy and Durability of Intratympanic Gentamicin Treatment for Meniere's Disease.

Objective: To study the success of intratympanic gentamicin (ITG) treatment in reducing vertigo attacks in Meniere's disease (MD) and the value of the Halmagyi head thrust test (HTT) in predicting treatment durability. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary care vestibular clinic. Patients: Unilateral MD patients treated with ITG from 2006-2019 with ≥6 months follow-up. Main Outcome Measures: Demographics, audiometric data, subjective symptomatology, and HTT results were collected. Treatment success was defined as sufficient symptom relief. Treatment failure indicated vertigo control of less than 6 months duration. Treatment relapse indicated vertigo recurrence after 6 months. Results: Of 255 patients, treatment success, failure, and relapse occurred in 226 (88.6%), 29 (11.4%), and 121 (47.1%) patients, respectively. 48 (18.8%) patients who failed to respond or relapsed underwent labyrinthectomy. Mean follow-up time was 3.7 yrs (range 0.5-12.8). After ITG treatment, 25% patients reported worse hearing; mean pure tone average (PTA) increased by 18.6 ± 11.3 dB and mean word recognition score (WRS) decreased by 33 ± 21%. Of the 148 patients with negative pre-treatment HHT, 103 (69.6%) converted to positive after ITG treatment. Mean time-to-relapse in the converted and non-converted HTT cohorts was significantly different (49.7 vs. 27.0 months, p = 0.009) even after adjusting for gender, age, laterality, duration of symptoms, and number of ITG treatments. There were no significant differences between the two groups in hearing outcomes or subjective symptoms (e.g. lingering disequilibrium). Conclusions: ITG treatment effectively reduces the number of vertigo attacks in MD. HTT is valuable in predicting durability of treatment benefit.

International Survey of Operative Practices for Otologists and Neurotologists During the COVID-19 Crisis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on operative practices of otology and neurotology providers internationally. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: A 78-question survey was distributed to otologists and neurotologists between May 12, 2020 and June 8, 2020 to assess the impact of the pandemic on surgical practices. Sections within the survey delineated time periods: prior to the crisis, onset of the crisis, during the crisis, postcrisis transition. RESULTS: Of 396 survey respondents, 284 participants from 38 countries met inclusion criteria.Respondents were 16.9% female and 82.4% male, with a most common age range of 40 to 49 years (36.3%). 69.8% of participants had been in practice for over 10 years and most respondents worked in an academic medical center (79.2%). The average operative weekly caseload was 5.3 (SD 3.9) per surgeon prior to the crisis, 0.7 (SD 1.2) during the COVID-19 crisis, and 3.5 (SD 3.3) for those who had begun a postcrisis transition at the time of survey administration (p < 0.001). 71.5% of providers did not perform an elective otologic or neurotologic operative procedure during the initial crisis period. 49.8% reported modifying their surgical technique due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Use of powered air-purifying respirators and filtering facepiece 2 or 3 (FFP2/FFP3) respirators were in minimal supply for 66.9% and 62.3% of respondents, respectively. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the otology and neurotology community globally, resulting in significant changes in operative volume and case selection. Modification of surgical technique and shortages of personal protective equipment were frequently reported.

The Efficient Dizziness History and Exam.

Dizziness is a common complaint in otolaryngology clinics and can present a diagnostic challenge. A thorough history including onset, duration, and exacerbating and alleviating factors, along with physician persistence, can help differentiate between otologic and nonotologic forms of dizziness. An otologic and neurotologic physical examination, including vestibulo-ocular reflex and cranial nerve function evaluation and postural examination, can shed further light on symptom etiology. Otologic forms of dizziness often result in vertigo and may be associated with unilateral symptoms of hearing loss, aural fullness, or tinnitus. Primary causes of dizziness are more often constant and insidious in onset.

Further Research Needed to Understand Relationship Between Tubarial Glands and Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.

The pathophysiology of eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) remains poorly characterized, and it may result in significant patient morbidity. A recent study has identified a collection of previously unidentified salivary glands in the nasopharynx that overlay the torus tubarius. While salivary gland tissue has been described in the nasopharynx, the newly discovered salivary gland tissue has been denoted tubarial glands (TGs) and theorized to be a distinct organ. The TGs have been suggested to aid in lubrication of the oropharynx and nasopharynx. However, the exact clinical significance of TGs is unknown. Given the proximity of the TG to the eustachian tube, it is possible that the TGs may be related to the development of ETD. Future studies of the TGs and related pathophysiology may improve approaches to developing future ETD treatments.