Electrophysiologic evaluation of facial nerve functions after oxaliplatin treatment.

PURPOSE: This study analyzes the effect of oxaliplatin treatment on the facial nerve. The facial nerve is the most commonly paralyzed cranial motor nerve because it advances through a long, curved bone canal. Electroneurography and blink reflex are the electrophysiological measurements used for evaluating facial nerve function. Oxaliplatin is a cytotoxic agent used in adjuvant or palliative systemic therapy for colorectal cancer treatment. METHODS: This study was performed on 20 individuals who were at least 18 years old at Hacettepe University Ear Nose Throat Department, Audiology and Speech Disorders Unit, and Neurology Division EMG Laboratory as they received oxaliplatin treatment from Hacettepe University Oncology Hospital. Electroneurography and blink-reflex values were recorded and examined. The parameters taken during the second and fourth months were compared for this purpose. RESULTS: This study shows that the prolongation of distal latencies of compound muscle action potential is statistically significant, the amplitudes showed no difference. The ENoG results were analyzed, the prolongation of latency measurements between pre-treatment and the fourth month after treatment were statistically significant. The blink-reflex results showed that comparison with the baseline values, the prolongation of latencies in R1 measurements between pre-treatment, the second month, and the fourth month were significant. CONCLUSIONS: The facial nerve is affected asymptomatically by oxaliplatin treatment. During oxaliplatin treatment, the evaluation of facial nerve function could be beneficial for patients by improving their quality of life. Electroneurography and blink-reflex tests can be used in the early evaluations of different medicines to determine their neurotoxicity.

Sudden hearing loss: an effectivity comparison of intratympanic and systemic steroid treatments.

Corticosteroid treatment has been considered the most effective treatment modality for sudden sensorineural hearing loss so far. Application route of corticosteroids may vary. We have designed a prospective randomized case-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effectivenesses of the different application routes of steroids in the treatment of SSHL. Thirty-five patients were distributed randomly to two groups which were treated with either 'oral' or 'intratympanic' corticosteroids. Intratympanic steroid administration was performed three times every other day transtympanically. At the end of third month, recovery rate in the 'intratympanic' group was 84.2%, whereas in the 'oral' group, it was 87.5%. The difference between the recovery rates was not statistically significant. There were no major complications related to transtympanic steroid administration. These findings support that intratympanic steroid therapy is an alternative to systemic steroid therapy in the initial treatment of sudden hearing loss. In addition, transtympanic technique is an easy to perform and safe method for delivering steroids into the inner ear.

Long-term Results of ABI in Children With Severe Inner Ear Malformations.

OBJECTIVE: To report the long-term outcomes of children who received auditory brainstem implant (ABI) because of severe inner ear malformations. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Tertiary referral otolaryngology clinic. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Between July 2006 and October 2014, 60 children received ABI at Hacettepe University. Preoperative work up included otolaryngologic examination, audiological assessment, radiological evaluation together with assessment of language development and psychological status. The surgeries were performed via retrosigmoid approach with a pediatric neurosurgeon. Intraoperatively, electrical auditory brainstem response was utilized. Initial stimulation was done 4 to 5 weeks postoperatively. Outcomes were evaluated with Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP), speech intelligibility rate (SIR), functional auditory performance of cochlear implant (FAPCI) and Manchester Spoken Language Development Scale scores; receptive and expressive language ages were determined. RESULTS: Sixty children who received ABI were between ages of 12 and 64 months. Thirty-five patients with follow up period of at least 1 year, were reported in means of long-term audiological and language results. The most prevelant inner ear malformation was cochlear hypoplasia (n = 19). No major complication was encountered. Majority of the patients were in CAP 5 category, which implies that they can understand common phrases without lip reading. SIR was found out to be better with improving hearing thresholds. Children with ABI were performing worse than average cochlear implantation (CI) users when FAPCI scores were compared. Patients with the best hearing thresholds have expressive vocabulary of 50 to 200 words when evaluated with Manchester Spoken Language Development Scale. There was no relationship between the number of active electrodes and hearing thresholds. The type of inner ear anomaly with the best and the worst hearing thresholds were common cavity and cochlear aperture aplasia, respectively. Patients with additional handicaps had worse outcomes. Among 35 children, 29 had closed set discrimination and 12 developed open set discrimination above 50%. It was determined that, progress of the patients is faster in the initial 2 years when compared with further use of ABI. CONCLUSION: ABI is an acceptable and effective treatment modality for pediatric population with severe inner ear malformations. Bilateral stimulation together with CI and contralateral ABI should be utilized in suitable cases.

Comparison of various bone cement ossiculoplasty techniques and functional results.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, functional results of different bone cement ossiculoplasty techniques are compared. METHODS: Retrospective case review at a tertiary referral center. Patients who underwent middle ear surgery and bone cement ossiculoplasty between 2006-2012 were included. A total of 52 patients, including 30 patients with 'Incus to stapes' (Group 1) and 13 patients with 'malleus to stapes' (Group 2), five patients with 'incudoplasty + stapedotomy' (Group 3), and four patients with 'malleus to incus' (Group 4) ossiculoplasty were enrolled in the study. Pre-operative and post-operative audiological findings of each group were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean hearing gain (the difference between pre-operative and post-operative air bone gap (ABG)) was 13 dB for Group 1, 30 dB for Group 2, 24 dB for Group 3, and 9 dB for Group 4. The pre-operative air pure tone averages (PTA) of groups 1, 2, and 3 improved significantly in the post-operative period (p < 0.05). Closure of post-operative ABG of patients to less than 20 dB and 10 dB were as follows: ∼70% and 43% in group 1; 86% and 76% in group 2; 100% and 60% in group 3; and 75% and 50% in group 4, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that glass ionomer cement is a simple and effective method for reconstruction of ossicular discontinuity in various ossicular chain pathologies and can be an alternative to conventional rebridging techniques such as sculpted incus interposition or partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP).

Prognostic Factors in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

BACKGROUND: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is still a complex and challenging process which requires clinical evidence regarding its etiology, treatment and prognostic factors. Therefore, determination of prognostic factors might aid in the selection of proper treatment modality. AIMS: The aim of this study is to analyze whether there is correlation between SSNHL outcomes and (1) systemic steroid therapy, (2) time gap between onset of symptoms and initiation of therapy and (3) audiological pattern of hearing loss. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: Patients diagnosed at our clinic with SSNHL between May 2005 and December 2011 were reviewed. A detailed history of demographic features, side of hearing loss, previous SSNHL and/or ear surgery, recent upper respiratory tract infection, season of admission, duration of symptoms before admission and the presence of co-morbid diseases was obtained. Radiological and audiological evaluations were recorded and treatment protocol was assessed to determine whether systemic steroids were administered or not. Treatment started ≤5 days was regarded as "early" and >5 days as "delayed". Initial audiological configurations were grouped as "upward sloping", "downward sloping", "flat" and "profound" hearing loss. Significant recovery was defined as thresholds improved to the same level with the unaffected ear or improved ≥30 dB on average. Slight recovery was hearing improvement between 10-30dB on average. Hearing recovery less than 10 dB was accepted as unchanged. RESULTS: Among the 181 patients who met the inclusion criteria, systemic steroid was administered to 122 patients (67.4%), whereas 59 (32.6%) patients did not have steroids. It was found that steroid administration did not have any statistically significant effect in either recovered or unchanged hearing groups. Early treatment was achieved in 105 patients (58%) and 76 patients (42%) had delayed treatment. Recovery rates were no different in these two groups; however, when unchanged hearing rates were compared, it was statistically significantly lower in the early treatment group (p<0.05). When hearing outcomes were compared according to initial audiological pattern, significant recovery and unchanged hearing rates did not differ between groups; however, slight recovery rate was highest in the "flat" type audiological configuration (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: According to this patient series, oral steroid therapy does not have any influence on the outcomes of SSNHL. However, mid-frequency hearing loss of flat type and initiation of treatment earlier than 5 days from the onset of symptoms, seem to have positive prognostic effects. Further randomized controlled subject groups might contribute to determine prognostic factors of SSNHL.

Early computed tomography findings of the inner ear after stapes surgery and its clinical correlations.

OBJECTIVE: Pneumolabyrinth resulting from temporal bone trauma and stapes luxation has been associated with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The principal purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and volume of pneumolabyrinth after stapedotomy in which iatrogenic perilymphatic fistula is created and to also correlate this with possible hearing loss and vertigo. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty stapedotomy patients were operated on for otosclerosis, and of those 50, 20 underwent high-resolution computed tomography (CT) on the first day, 10 on the third day, and 20 on the seventh day. The patients followed up regarding SNHL and vertigo that could develop postoperatively, and the correlation of such complications with HRCT findings was examined. RESULTS: The 20 patients who had high-resolution CT (HRCT) on the first day all presented with pneumolabyrinth, and none of the 20 patients who underwent HRCT on the seventh day had pneumolabyrinth. Postoperatively, 92% of the patients had less than 20 dB and 62% had less than 10 dB air-bone gap. None of the patients had SNHL or persistent vertigo. There was no correlation between pneumolabyrinth and hearing loss or vertigo. CONCLUSION: Pneumolabyrinth is a radiological sign of perilymphatic fistula and has no effect on sensorineural hearing loss and vertigo. Observing pneumolabyrinth during the early postoperative stage should not necessarily implicate a complication; however, pneumolabyrinth after the first week supported with the clinical symptoms of perilymphatic fistula would be a meaningful finding.

Primary intracranial myxoma of the lateral skull base: a rare entity in clinical practice.

Myxomas are rare benign tumors arising from mesenchymal tissues throughout the body. These tumors are usually seen in the atrium of the heart and the jawbone. Involvement of the skull base with intracranial extension is extremely rare, and only a few cases of primary intracranial myxomas have been described in the literature. A rare case of primary myxoma of the temporal bone is presented in this article. The patient underwent a skull base surgery with a pre-diagnosis of possible chondrosarcoma. The tumor pathology revealed a diagnosis of myxoma with bone and meningeal involvement. Despite the radical surgery, the tumor showed a local recurrence in three years. A second surgery with subtotal petrosectomy was required. In the article, the etiology, histological and radiological findings as well as treatment options of this rare entity were briefly discussed under the highlights of the relevant literature. Such a localization and intracranial extension of myxomas is extremely unusual in clinical practice; the diagnosis therefore requires a high degree of suspicion and detailed histopathological examination. The differential diagnosis frequently includes chondrosarcomas, chordoma, metastatic tumors of the skull, hemangiopericytoma, meningioma and other neoplasms of the dura and skull base in this location.

Preliminary results of auditory brainstem implantation in prelingually deaf children with inner ear malformations including severe stenosis of the cochlear aperture and aplasia of the cochlear nerve.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study is to present the results of 11 children where auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) was successfully performed to restore hearing. STUDY DESIGN: Case presentation. This study was conducted at the departments of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery at Hacettepe University Ankara, Turkey. PATIENTS: Between July 2006 and April 2008, 11 prelingual (30-56 mo) deaf children with several cochlear malformations had ABI. INTERVENTION: All patients were programmed and were enrolled in auditory verbal therapy sessions and family counseling programs at Hacettepe Auditory Verbal Center. The evaluation was performed at preimplant and again 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-switch on. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main test components composing this test battery were Ling 6 Sound Detection-Identification Test, Word Identification Test in Turkish, Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale, and Meaningful Use of Speech Scale. RESULTS: Successful brainstem implantations were performed in all patients with retrosigmoid approach. Six children gained basic audiologic functions and were able to recognize and discriminate sounds, and many could identify environmental sounds such as a doorbell and telephone ring by the third month of ABI. Improvement in mean performance on Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale is apparent for all ABI children. Improvement in Meaningful Use of Speech Scale scores in 2 patients, demonstrating that the child using its own voice for speech performance, was observed between the baseline and 12th month. First, 5 children were able to identify Ling's 6 sound by the end of 2 to 6 months, and 2 of them also started to identify words due to their pattern differences and multisyllabic word identification by 6 to 9 months. Two children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have made slower progress than the other children with ABIs. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results show that there is adequate contribution of brainstem implants in the development of auditory-verbal skills. Additional handicaps slow the progress of the prelingually deaf children.

Bony sheathed chorda tympani: a unique case of incudomalleolar fixation.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a unilateral conductive hearing loss caused by restriction of the movements of malleus and incus due to chorda tympani in a bony sheath. PATIENT: A 23-year-old man with a stable mild conductive hearing loss in the left ear and mild sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear. INTERVENTION: An exploratory tympanotomy was performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Immobility of the ossicles due to a bony structure, which was found to be chorda tympani encircled in a bony sheath. Ossicular system regained its mobility with the severance of the chorda tympani. RESULTS: Hearing was improved both subjectively and audiographically. CONCLUSION: This is the second case of chorda tympani with a bony sheath and the first case of this pathologic finding affecting both malleus and incus. Bony sheathed chorda tympani is considered to be a congenital anomaly of the chorda tympani that causes incudomalleolar fixation and behaves as posterior bony bars.

Surgical results of cochlear implantation in malformed cochlea.

OBJECTIVE: To report the surgical aspects of cochlear implantation in malformed cochlea. SETTING: Tertiary care center. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case review. METHODS: Between November 1997 and October 2004, 20 patients with inner ear malformations were implanted in our department. The age range was between 2 and 37 years (average, 8.8 yr). The anomalies were classified according to Sennaroglu and Saatci classification. There were two patients with common cavity deformity, four cases of incomplete partition (IP) type I (cystic cochleovestibular malformation), four cases of IP type II (classical Mondini's deformity), nine patients with large vestibular aqueduct (LVA) syndrome, and one patient with X-linked deafness. RESULTS: Standard transmastoid facial recess approach was used in 17 patients (three patients with IP I, four patients with IP II, and nine patients with LVA syndrome). In the remaining patient with IP I, because of the dehiscent and anteriorly located facial nerve, the surgical approach had to be modified, and an anteroposterior approach was used. After elevating the tympanomeatal flap, the electrode was inserted through the ear canal and then transferred to the mastoid through a full-length cut produced in the ear canal. The flap then returned to its place. In the patients with common cavity deformity, the electrode was inserted by the transmastoid labyrinthotomy approach. Facial nerve had an abnormal course in four patients, but no patient had facial weakness postoperatively. Cerebrospinal fluid gusher was encountered in four patients, whereas oozing was present in five patients. It seems that a slightly larger cochleostomy may reduce postoperative rhinorrhea. The patient with common cavity deformity showed abnormal vestibular stimulation which decreased and was totally abolished during a 3-month period. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, cochlear implantation is surgically feasible in patients with common cavity, IP types I and II, and LVA. The surgeon should be ready to make modifications in the surgical approach because of the abnormal course of the facial nerve and be ready to produce special precautions to cerebrospinal fluid gusher.

Results after revision stapedectomy with malleus grip prosthesis.

Revision stapedectomy with a malleus grip prosthesis is a technically challenging otologic procedure. The prosthesis is usually longer and extends deeper into the vestibule than a conventional stapes prosthesis, creating the potential to affect the vestibular sense organs. The prosthesis also bypasses the ossicular joints, which are thought to play a role in protecting the inner ear from large changes in static pressure within the middle ear. The prosthesis is in close proximity to the tympanic membrane, thus increasing the risk for its extrusion. We reviewed our experience with revision stapedectomy with the Schuknecht Teflon-wire malleus grip prosthesis in 36 ears with a mean follow-up of 23 months. The air-bone gap was closed to within 10 dB in 16 ears (44%) and to within 20 dB in 26 ears (72%). The incidence of postoperative sensorineural hearing loss was 8% (3 ears). There were no dead ears. Extrusion of the prosthesis occurred in 1 case (3%). Nearly 50% of patients reported various degrees of vertigo or disequilibrium during the first 3 weeks after surgery. These vestibular symptoms resolved by 6 weeks in all but 1 case. We did not find evidence of damage to the inner ear due to the length of the prosthesis or due to the potential for direct transmission of changes in static pressures within the middle ear to the labyrinth. Our results are similar to those published in the literature for malleus attachment stapedectomy and conventional revision incus stapedectomy.

Investigation of ototoxic effects of Taxol on a mice model.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of taxol on the inner ear in a mice model. METHODS: This study was performed on 112 ears of 56 albino Swiss mice. All animals underwent baseline auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing bilaterally and baseline Peak Equivalent Sound Pressure Levels (PESPLs) were obtained. The mice were randomly assigned to seven groups consisting of one control and six study groups. The control group received no medications while the mice in groups 1-6 received 1 x 60, 1 x 20, 2 x 20, 3 x 20, 4 x 20 and 5 x 20 mg/kg taxol intraperitoneally. Control ABR assessments were performed 3 weeks after the last dose. The animals were then sacrificed while still anaesthetised and the bullae (cochleae included) were dissected from their temporal bones. Haematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome stains were used to demonstrate connective tissue, and periodic acid Schiff (PAS) stain was used to highlight epithelial elements. RESULTS: Significant decreases in the hearing levels were observed in all the groups which received taxol. No correlation was observed between the dose given and the degree of hearing loss. The sections from the control group showed no histopathologic abnormalities while the sections from the study groups demonstrated vacuolisation in the epithelial cells of the spiral limbus, and the stria vascularis, vacuolisation of the fibroblasts and decreasing the number of the fibroblasts in the spiral limbus. CONCLUSION: Taxol causes mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss in mice. Histopathologically, there were degenerative changes in the cochlea resembling the ones that take place in salisylate and interferon alpha 2a ototoxicity which are thought to be reversible. There was no sensory cell loss. The hearing loss begins with doses less than or equal to 20mg/kg and is not dose dependent after this dose. Hearing monitorisation with audiologic evaluation is strongly recommended before and during the use of the drug in human subjects.

Pneumolabyrinth following traumatic luxation of the stapes into the vestibule.

Pneumolabyrinth can result from traumatic luxation of stapes into the vestibule. The diagnosis of stapes luxation following a head injury can be delayed especially if the otoscopic examination is within normal limits. Here a 15-year-old girl presenting with vertigo and nystagmus following a blunt head injury was presented, whose computerized tomography revealed air in the vestibule and cochlea (pneumolabyrinth) and stapes was found to be luxated into the vestibule.

c-myc and bcl-2 Expression in supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the expression and prognostic significance of c-myc and bcl-2 oncogenes in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the supraglottic larynx. Study design A retrospective cohort study of 61 patients who underwent surgery for SCC of the supraglottic larynx. Gender, age, TNM status, operative procedure, recurrences, and disease-free survival periods were recorded. METHODS: Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were reexamined for grade, invasion of tumor margins, lymphovascular invasion, lymphocyte infiltration, and perineural invasion. Immunohistochemical detection of c-myc and bcl-2 oncogenes was performed using monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: No correlation was observed between either c-myc or bcl-2 and the clinical and histopathologic parameters. Survival analysis revealed no correlation of either c-myc (P = 0.88) or bcl-2 (P = 0.85) with the disease-free survival. c-myc expression was found to be significantly higher in bcl-2-positive patients (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Neither c-myc nor bcl-2 had shown to be prognostic factor for laryngeal carcinoma in this present study. Correlation between c-myc and bcl-2 supports the experimental observations of cooperative action between these two genes in tumorigenesis.

Use of homograft dehydrated temporal fascia in tympanoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the results of myringoplasty operations using homograft dehydrated fascia temporalis (Tutoplast) and compare these with those performed with autograft fascia temporalis. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Forty-three adult patients (> or =18 years of age) with central, dry perforations of pars tensa with intact ossicular chains. INTERVENTION: Tympanoplasty with an endaural approach and underlay technique was performed. Homograft dehydrated temporal fascia was used in 22 patients, and autograft was used in the remaining 21 patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Preoperative and postoperative air-bone gap and speech reception threshold levels and postoperative compliance values of the homograft and autograft groups were compared. RESULTS: Postoperative perforations were encountered in two patients (9.1%) from the homograft group and three patients (14.2%) from the allograft group. Significant postoperative improvements in air-bone gap and speech reception threshold values were detected for both groups (p < 0.05). Although the mean compliance of the tympanic membranes was significantly lower in the homograft group, no statistically significant difference was observed between groups when the postoperative air-bone gap and speech reception threshold values were compared. CONCLUSION: Homograft temporal fascia can be used in tympanoplasty with the same success rate of autograft temporal fascia without impeding hearing. Its main advantages are the reduction in the duration of surgery and the length of preauricular and postauricular incisions. However, the advantages of the dehydrated homograft temporal fascia should be weighed against its cost and risk of transmission of viral and prion-mediated diseases.

Necrotizing sialometaplasia of parotid gland: a possible vasculitic cause.

Necrotizing sialometaplasia at the parotid gland location is rare and simulates malignant disease. If it is seen at this location, the causes may be previous dental or parotid gland surgical procedures, which result in blood vessel injuries and thrombosis. We report a parotid gland necrotizing sialometaplasia of a 17-year-old girl, possibly caused by primary vascular damage or vasculitis.

Prognostic value of CD44 variant 6 in laryngeal epidermoid carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: CD44 variant exon 6 (v6) belongs to a family of transmembrane glycoproteins involved in cell adhesion. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prognostic role of CD44v6 in laryngeal cancer and to examine its relation with other clinicopathologic prognostic factors. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was designed with 93 laryngeal cancer cases. They were selected randomly from patients treated with laryngectomy between January 1, 1983, and December 31, 1993. SETTING: Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. PATIENTS: The ages of the patients ranged from 31 to 73 years. Eighty-eight patients were men and 5 were women. Three had stage I, 33 had stage II, 27 had stage III, and 30 had stage IV disease at the time of surgery. INTERVENTION: Histological sections of tumors and metastatic lymph nodes were reevaluated for several histopathological factors. Sections were stained using anti-CD44v6 monoclonal antibody by immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: CD44v6 expression was seen only in the lower one third of the normal squamous epithelium but in all layers of dysplasia and in situ carcinoma. Besides a general evaluation of tumor staining, immunostaining was evaluated separately for cell groups located in the center of neoplastic islands (nonbasal cells), at the periphery of the neoplastic islands (basal cells), and at the infiltration zones (marginal cells). Decreased disease-free survival was noted when there was extensive staining in the general evaluation and in cases with extensive staining in marginal and nonbasal cells (P =.03). Using Cox regression analysis, the greatest dimension of the largest metastatic lymph node and extensive expression of CD44v6 in nonbasal tumor cells were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that CD44v6 expression is an important prognostic factor in laryngeal cancer.