Temporal Bone Trauma.

Temporal bone trauma represents a potentially underrecognized condition during head injuries and remains an important consideration during the evaluation of these patients. The temporal bone contains many critical neurovascular structures in addition to the primary organs of the auditory and vestibular systems that may be violated during these injuries. Despite the lack of consensus guidelines on the management of these injuries, this review highlights the current literature regarding the diagnosis and management of temporal bone trauma and its potential complications.

Repurposable Drugs That Interact with Steroid Responsive Gene Targets for Inner Ear Disease.

Corticosteroids, oral or transtympanic, remain the mainstay for inner ear diseases characterized by hearing fluctuation or sudden changes in hearing, including sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), Meniere's disease (MD), and autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED). Despite their use across these diseases, the rate of complete recovery remains low, and results across the literature demonstrates significant heterogeneity with respect to the effect of corticosteroids, suggesting a need to identify more efficacious treatment options. Previously, our group has cross-referenced steroid-responsive genes in the cochlea with published single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptome datasets to demonstrate that steroid-responsive differentially regulated genes are expressed in spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) and stria vascularis (SV) cell types. These differentially regulated genes represent potential druggable gene targets. We utilized multiple gene target databases (DrugBank, Pharos, and LINCS) to identify orally administered, FDA approved medications that potentially target these genes. We identified 42 candidate drugs that have been shown to interact with these genes, with an emphasis on safety profile, and tolerability. This study utilizes multiple databases to identify drugs that can target a number of druggable genes in otologic disorders that are commonly treated with steroids, providing a basis for establishing novel repurposing treatment trials.

Health Disparities in Otology: A PRISMA-Based Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Social determinants of health (SDOHs), including but not limited to sex, race, socioeconomic status, insurance status, and education level, play a significant role in health disparities and affect health outcomes. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine health disparities in otology within the United States and highlight areas warranting further research. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE. REVIEW METHODS: Our search encompassed all years through January 10, 2021. All peer-reviewed primary literature of any design and publication date regarding health disparities and otology outcomes in the United States was eligible for inclusion. Eligibility assessment was performed via 3 independent investigators. RESULTS: Of the 6326 unique abstracts identified, 188 studies underwent full-text review, and 52 remained in the final review. The most frequently examined otologic condition was hearing loss (36.5%), followed by cochlear implantation (28.8%) and infection/effusion (15.4%). Vertigo/dizziness (1.9%), Ménière's disease (1.9%), and tinnitus (1.9%) were the least represented otologic conditions. Comprehensive articles on multiple disparity topics were the most common (n = 18), followed by articles on race/ethnicity (n = 11) and socioeconomic status (n = 9). Language (n = 2), education (n = 2), and gender (n = 1) were the least discussed. Over 5-fold the number of articles were published between 2011 and 2020 compared to the preceding decade (42 vs 8). CONCLUSION: This study captures the existing literature regarding health disparities and outcomes in otology. The lack of robust data suggests the need for future quality studies aimed at investigating disparities in otologic care, as well as a broader push for recording and reporting SDOHs.