To POP or not: ossiculoplasty in congenital aural atresia surgery.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To examine indications for ossiculoplasty (OP) in aural atresia surgery and to compare audiometric results and surgical revision rates between patients undergoing OP and those undergoing intact native chain reconstruction (INCR). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: Charts of patients undergoing surgery for congenital aural atresia were reviewed for demographic data, preoperative Jahrsdoerfer score, ossicular chain status, and audiometric data. Patients undergoing OP were compared with an equal number of age and Jahrsdoerfer grade-matched patients who had an INCR. The preoperative and postoperative average air-bone gap (ABG), speech reception thresholds (SRT), and rates of revision surgery were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Nineteen patients (20 ears) underwent OP during aural atresia repair and were compared with 20 matched patients who had INCR. Mean age, Jahrsdoerfer score, preoperative ABG, and SRT were similar for both groups. Mean postoperative audiometric follow-up was 33.1 months for the OP group and 20.4 months for the INC group (P = .24). Mean postoperative ABG was 33.8 dB HL for OP and 23.8 dB HL for INCR (P < .05). Mean improvement in ABG was 16.8 dB HL for OP and 29.9 dB HL for INCR (P < .001). Mean improvement in SRT was 24.6 dB HL for OP and 34.8 dB HL for INCR (P < .05). Nine ears (45%) in the OP group and four ears (20%) in the INCR group underwent revision surgery (P = .09). CONCLUSIONS: Patients reconstructed with their own intact native chain during aural atresia surgery have better audiometric outcomes than those undergoing OP and are less likely to undergo revision surgery.

Interleukin-3 and c-Kit/stem cell factor are required for normal eosinophil responses in mice infected with Strongyloides venezuelensis.

To evaluate the potential roles of Interleukin-3 (IL-3) and c-Kit, the tyrosine kinase receptor for stem cell factor (SCF), in eosinophil responses in vivo, we examined eosinophil numbers in uninfected or nematode-infected wild-type mice, IL-3-/- mice, and IL-3-/- mice that also have a marked reduction in SCF/c-Kit signaling (ie, Kit(W)/Kit(W-v), IL-3-/- mice). We found no significant differences in the numbers of eosinophils in the blood, bone marrow or various tissues of IL-3-/- vs IL-3+/+ mice, either at baseline or after the induction of bone marrow, blood or tissue eosinophilia in response to infection with Strongyloides venezuelensis (S.v.) or Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (N.b.). However, in mice with markedly impaired SCF/c-Kit signaling, IL-3 contributed significantly to the increased numbers of eosinophils that were observed in multiple tissues during S.v. infection, but not during infection with N.b.