Direction-changing spontaneous nystagmus in cerebellopontine angle tumour.

The most common symptoms of tumours involving the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) are unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, dizziness, and asymmetric tinnitus. While the clinical manifestations have been well documented in previous studies, the nystagmus findings in these patients have not been thoroughly investigated yet. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of direction-changing spontaneous nystagmus in patients with CPA tumours, evaluate their radiologic characteristics, and gain insight into the mechanisms underlying nystagmus. Direction-changing spontaneous nystagmus was observed in 6 out of 83 patients (7%) with CPA tumours during the 7-year period. Temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging findings revealed the presence of an intrameatal mass in CPA tumours in all six patients with direction-changing spontaneous nystagmus. Vestibular schwannomas were confined within the internal auditory meatus in four patients, and petroclival meningiomas extended into the internal auditory meatus in two patients. The mechanism of direction-changing spontaneous nystagmus may be explained as paroxysmal secondary central hyperactivity in the vestibular nucleus due to the long-standing pressure effect in the vestibular nerve by tumours, or by ephaptic discharges in the vestibular nerve.

Middle Ear Ceruminous Gland Adenoma Obstructing the Eustachian Tube Orifice.

Ceruminous glands are located in the skin of the cartilaginous portion of the external auditory canal, and ceruminous gland adenoma originating from the middle ear mucosa is extremely rare. We report a case of middle ear ceruminous gland adenoma which caused long-standing otomastoiditis and mixed hearing loss with a large air-bone gap by obstructing the bony Eustachian tube. We discuss the clinical characteristics and histologic features of the present case.

Prevalence and characteristics of S-point bleeding compared to non S-point bleeding in severe epistaxis / Prevalência e características do sangramento no S-point em comparação com outros pontos sangramento na epistaxe grave

Abstract Introduction Stamm's S-point is gaining importance as a bleeding focus in severe epistaxis. However, prevalence and features of S-point bleeding compared to non S-point bleeding have not been studied. Objective To investigate the characteristics of patients with S-point bleeding among those with severe epistaxis and to compare the factors involved in the treatment of epistaxis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 268 patients admitted to the otorhinolaryngology department of Konkuk University Hospital and Chung-Ang University Hospital with epistaxis of which the bleeding focus clarified. Patients with anterior nasal bleeding (n = 129) were excluded. The study was conducted at the department of otorhinolaryngology from January 2008 to August 2019. Collected data included patients' demographic information, bleeding focus, body mass index underlying medical and sinonasal diseases, laboratory test results (initial hemoglobin, platelet count, and triglyceride level), use of anticoagulants, direction of epistaxis, initial and final treatments, and need for blood transfusion. Results The prevalence of S-point bleeding was 28.8% of non-anterior bleeding cases. Mean body mass index score was lower in the S-point group (23.41 ± 3.71) compared to the non S-point group (24.93 ± 3.97) (p = 0.039). Underweight patients tended to show a greater incidence of S-point bleeding (15.0%) than non S-point bleeding (2.0%) (p = 0.010). Incidence of anemia was higher in the S-point group (67.5%) than in the non S-point group (36.4%). Anemia (Odds ratio [OR]: 3.635; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.669-7.914, p = 0.001) and underweight (body mass index < 18.5, OR: 8.559, CI: 1.648-44.445, p = 0.011) were significantly associated with S-point bleeding. Conclusion Prevalence of S-point bleeding was significant, underlining the importance of examining the S-point in patients with severe epistaxis. Patients with S-point bleeding had lower body mass index scores and a higher incidence of anemia than those with non S-point bleeding.

Resumo Introdução O S-point de Stamm tem ganhado importância como foco de sangramento na epistaxe grave. Entretanto, a prevalência e as características do sangramento no S-point em comparação com o sangramento em outros locais ainda não foram estudadas. Objetivo Investigar as características dos pacientes com epistaxe grave com sangramento no S-point e comparar os fatores envolvidos no tratamento da epistaxe. Método Analisamos retrospectivamente os prontuários médicos de 268 pacientes internados no Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia do Konkuk University Hospital e do Chung-Ang University Hospital com epistaxe cujo foco hemorrágico foi esclarecido. Pacientes com sangramento anterior (n = 129) foram excluídos. O estudo foi feito no Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia de janeiro de 2008 a agosto de 2019. Os dados coletados incluíram informações demográficas dos pacientes, foco hemorrágico, índice de massa corporal doenças médicas e nasosinusais subjacentes, resultados de exames laboratoriais (hemoglobina, contagem de plaquetas e nível de triglicerídeos iniciais), uso de anticoagulantes, direção da epistaxe, tratamentos iniciais e finais e necessidade de transfusão de sangue. Resultados A prevalência de sangramento no S-point foi de 28,8% dos casos de sangramento não anterior. O índice de massa corpórea médio foi menor no grupo com sangramento no S-point (23,41 ± 3,71) em comparação com o grupo não S-point (24,93 ± 3,97) (p = 0,039). Pacientes com baixo peso tenderam a apresentar maior incidência de sangramento no S-point (15,0%) do que sangramento em ponto não S (2,0%) (p = 0,010). A incidência de anemia foi maior no grupo com sangramento no S-point (67,5%) do que no grupo não S-point (36,4%). A anemia (odds ratio [OR]: 3,635; intervalo de confiança de 95% [IC95%]: 1,669-7,914, p = 0,001) e o baixo peso (IMC < 18,5, OR: 8,559, IC95%: 1,648-44,445, p = 0,011) foram significantemente associados com sangramento no S-point. Conclusão A prevalência de sangramento no S-point foi significativa, enfatizou a importância de examinar o S-point em pacientes com epistaxe grave. Pacientes com sangramento no S-point apresentaram escores mais baixos no índice de massa corpórea e maior incidência de anemia do que aqueles com sangramento em locais que não o S-point.

Earwig Crawling in the Ear: Myth or Truth.

A 24-year-old man presented to our outpatient clinic with the left tinnitus and otalgia, which had awakened him early in the morning. Otoendoscopic examination revealed an earwig crawling in the external auditory canal. The earwig was carefully taken out with ear forceps. The tympanic membrane and external auditory canal were normal without traumatic lesions, and audiometric testing revealed normal hearing. Earwigs are insects of the order Dermaptera, and the name "earwig" originated from an ancient superstition that earwigs burrow through the external auditory canal and eat sleeping persons' brains. Although this superstition turned out to be unfounded, the earwigs sometimes do enter the ear.

Prevalence and characteristics of S-point bleeding compared to non S-point bleeding in severe epistaxis.

INTRODUCTION: Stamm's S-point is gaining importance as a bleeding focus in severe epistaxis. However, prevalence and features of S-point bleeding compared to non S-point bleeding have not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of patients with S-point bleeding among those with severe epistaxis and to compare the factors involved in the treatment of epistaxis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 268 patients admitted to the otorhinolaryngology department of Konkuk University Hospital and Chung-Ang University Hospital with epistaxis of which the bleeding focus clarified. Patients with anterior nasal bleeding (n=129) were excluded. The study was conducted at the department of otorhinolaryngology from January 2008 to August 2019. Collected data included patients' demographic information, bleeding focus, body mass index underlying medical and sinonasal diseases, laboratory test results (initial hemoglobin, platelet count, and triglyceride level), use of anticoagulants, direction of epistaxis, initial and final treatments, and need for blood transfusion. RESULTS: The prevalence of S-point bleeding was 28.8% of non-anterior bleeding cases. Mean body mass index score was lower in the S-point group (23.41±3.71) compared to the non S-point group (24.93±3.97) (p=0.039). Underweight patients tended to show a greater incidence of S-point bleeding (15.0%) than non S-point bleeding (2.0%) (p=0.010). Incidence of anemia was higher in the S-point group (67.5%) than in the non S-point group (36.4%). Anemia (Odds ratio [OR]: 3.635; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.669-7.914, p=0.001) and underweight (body mass index<18.5, OR: 8.559, CI: 1.648-44.445, p=0.011) were significantly associated with S-point bleeding. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of S-point bleeding was significant, underlining the importance of examining the S-point in patients with severe epistaxis. Patients with S-point bleeding had lower body mass index scores and a higher incidence of anemia than those with non S-point bleeding.

Nystagmus in Ramsay Hunt syndrome with or without dizziness.

BACKGROUND: The presence of dizziness has been reported as a negative prognostic factor for recovery of facial palsy in Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS). The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and patterns of nystagmus in RHS patients without dizziness, and discuss possible mechanisms. We also compared the severity and prognosis of facial palsy between RHS patients with and without dizziness. METHODS: From January 2014 to January 2019, 36 patients diagnosed with RHS (27 with dizziness and 9 without dizziness) were included. Patterns of nystagmus were examined and categorized using video-nystagmography. House-Brackmann(HB) grade of facial palsy was compared between RHS patients with and without dizziness. RESULTS: Not only RHS patients with dizziness exhibited nystagmus in most cases (96%, 26 of 27) but also as many as 67% (6 of 9) of RHS patients without dizziness exhibited nystagmus, though the intensity was remarkably weak. In both groups of RHS with and without dizziness, direction-fixed nystagmus and direction-changing positional nystagmus were observed. Initial HB grade and recovery of facial palsy after treatment were not significantly different between RHS with and without dizziness. CONCLUSION: Various patterns of nystagmus including direction-fixed and positional direction-changing nystagmus were observed in RHS patients, and inflammation of the vestibular nerve and inner ear end organs may be responsible for the production of nystagmus in these patients. The results support that the evaluation of vestibular function may be necessary even in RHS patients who do not complain of dizziness or vertigo.

Effects of Olfactory Training in Patients With Postinfectious Olfactory Dysfunction.

OBJECTIVES: Postinfectious olfactory dysfunction (PIOD) is the most common etiology of olfactory dysfunction, and olfactory training (OT) is an accepted treatment modality for PIOD. Some studies have investigated OT in Korean patients, but they involved odorants unfamiliar to Koreans or had no control group. The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of OT in PIOD patients, using odorants familiar to Koreans and including a control group. METHODS: We enrolled a total of 104 Korean patients with PIOD over the 3-year study period. All participants were assessed using endoscopy and an olfactory function test at the baseline assessment and 3 months after OT. The olfactory function test was performed using the Korean version of Sniffin' stick (KVSS) II. Nasal and psychological function was evaluated using a visual analog scale and the Mini-Mental State Examination. OT was performed over a period of 3 months, using five odorants (rose, lemon, cinnamon, orange, and peach). RESULTS: OT improved olfactory function in approximately 40% of subjects over a period of 12 weeks compared to non-OT subjects. A comparison of changes between the initial and follow-up assessments demonstrated that the OT group had significantly better olfactory results for the total KVSS II, threshold, and identification scores than the non-OT group. The degree of olfactory improvement after OT was affected by the initial score. CONCLUSION: The effects of OT in patients with PIOD were demonstrated in this study. A meaningful contribution of this study is that Korean patients were tested using odors familiar to them in comparison with a control group.

Positional nystagmus in middle ear cholesteatoma with labyrinthine fistula.

Chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma can cause erosion of the dense labyrinthine bone overlying the inner ear organs, and this labyrinthine fistula allows pressure or mass-induced motion of the underlying perilymphatic and endolymphatic compartment, evoking vestibular symptoms. While the mechanism of a positive fistula test, which is conducted by increasing or decreasing the external auditory canal pressure, has been well established, the mechanism underlying positional nystagmus in labyrinthine fistula has not been discussed yet. In the present study, we propose a new hypothesis accounting for positional nystagmus in labyrinthine fistula involving the lateral semicircular canal (LSCC), i.e., the change in intracranial cerebrospinal fluid pressure by position change is transmitted to the perilymphatic space, causing ampullopetal (excitatory) or ampullofugal (inhibitory) deflection of the LSCC cupula.

Does Improved Attention Induced by Caffeine Intake Affect Olfactory Function?

OBJECTIVES: Past several studies have proven that caffeine facilitates attentional enhancement by acting as an adenosine antagonist once it is absorbed by the body, resulting in improved psycho-behavioral function. Modern clinical olfactory function tests are usually assessed by psychophysical tests but due to a paucity of data, the influence of enhanced attention by caffeine on olfactory function still remains unclear. The objective of this study was to compare results of cognitive function (attention) and olfactory function before and after caffeine administration in order to analyze effects of caffeine on olfactory function in normosmic subjects. METHODS: This study enrolled 49 participants of Konkuk University Hospital with a mean age of 27.7 years who had patent olfactory clefts and no olfactory dysfunction from May 2015 to February 2016. Subjects were restrained from caffeine 10 hours before the test. On day 1, participant's subjective olfactory function was evaluated before and after uptake of either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee using visual analog scale (VAS) score, minimum cross-sectional area (MCA) measured by acoustic rhinometry, and the Korean version of Sniffin' Stick II (KVSS II). Evaluation of participant's attentional degree was measured by d2 test. On day 2, the same procedure was carried out with counterpart substance. The type of coffee initially administrated was randomly selected. RESULTS: After administration, caffeinated coffee resulted in significant attentional enhancement than decaffeinated coffee. Results of d2 test showed statistically significant differences in the parameters of total number of errors and omission errors. In both the caffeinated and decaffeinated groups, the patients showed slight increase in VAS score and nasal cavity area; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Also, caffeinated coffee intake compared to decaffeinated coffee intake showed no significant relevance to olfactory function. CONCLUSION: Caffeine may significantly improve attentional congnitive function, while not have acute effects on olfactory function.

A rare occurrence of a fungus ball in the sphenoethmoid recess.

A fungus ball usually appears as a calcification within the sinus, suggesting the presence of a foreign body.

A case of congenital heminasal hypoplasia with an intranasal cyst: an extremely rare occurrence.

Various congenital nasal deformities can occur because of the complexities of the developmental process. These conditions range from partial deformities of the nose (such as isolated absence of the nasal bones, absence of columella, absence of the septal cartilage, and absence of vomeral bone) to complete absence of the nose. Congenital heminasal hypoplasia is an extremely rare defect of embryogenesis. We present a case of congenital heminasal hypoplasia with an associated dacryocystocele and intranasal cyst. The treatment of congenital dacryocystocele remains controversial. The majority of researchers recommend an initial treatment plan that does not include surgical intervention. Surgical reconstruction of the external nose and inner cavities can be delayed at least until the preschool years, when facial development is nearly complete.