A Challenging Nodular Lesion of the Ear.

Skin nodular lesion are really frequent, but rapidly growing ones needs to be quickly removed since they can hide really aggressive skin tumor. Among malignant lesion Merkel cell carcinoma arise. It is a rare neuroendocrine skin tumor highly aggressive, not easy to diagnose at first stage, since at first diagnosis it is already widespreading all over the body. In order to renew interest in this letal skin tumori is mandatory to remind high risk population which include elderly people, white skin, chronically exposed to UV immunocompromised. Our unhappy case was described to increase awareness on this kind of skin tumor, since new drug appeared in the market can give an hope to these patients.

Early Assessment of Vestibular Function after Unilateral Cochlear Implant Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Cochlear implantation (CI) has been reported to negatively affect vestibular function. The study of vestibular function has variably been conducted using different types of diagnostic tools. The combined use of modern, rapidly performing diagnostic tools could prove useful for standardization of the evaluation protocol. METHODS: In a group of 28 subjects undergoing CI, the video head impulse test (vHIT), the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) and the short form of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire were investigated preoperatively and postoperatively (implant on and off) in both the implanted and the contralateral, nonimplanted ear. All surgeries were performed with a round window approach (RWA), except for 3 otosclerosis cases in which the extended RWA (eRWA) was used. RESULTS: The vHIT of the lateral semicircular canal showed preoperative vestibular involvement in nearly 50% of the cases, while the 3 canals were contemporarily affected in only 14% of the cases. In all the hypofunctional subjects, cVEMP were absent. A low VOR gain in all of the investigated superior semicircular canals was found in 4 subjects (14%). In those subjects (21.7%) in whom cVEMP were preoperatively present and normal on the operated side, the absence of a response was postoperatively recorded. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The vestibular protocol applied in this study was found to be appropriate for distinguishing between the CI-operated ear and the nonoperated ear. In this regard, cVEMP was found to be more sensitive than vHIT for revealing a vestibular sufferance after CI, though without statistical significance. Finally, the use of RWA surgery apparently did not reduce the occurrence of signs of vestibular impairment.

Complications after round window vibroplasty.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the complication rate in adult subjects with open cavities that were implanted with the Vibrant Soundbridge implant, using the round window (RW) vibroplasty procedure. METHODS: From 2009 to 2014, 21 adult subjects with mixed hearing loss, all with sequel from open tympanoplasty surgery, underwent RW vibroplasty (RW-VPL). Surgical complications were recorded and a standard minimal approach was used as a basis for all the cases that needed revision. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 42 months (range 12-76). Complications occurred in nearly half of the cases and included: cable extrusion (23.8%), hardware failure (14.3%), profound hearing loss (9.5%), and inadequate RW coupling (9.5%). A minimal endaural approach (MEA) was used in the majority of the cases (86.7%), while the extended endaural approach was adopted for those patients requiring explantation with or without replacement (14.3%). CONCLUSIONS: RW-VPL can be considered a possible option for the rehabilitation of auditory impairment derived from an open tympanoplasty procedure due to cholesteatoma. The procedure may lead to minor/major complications that may require a surgical revision. By adopting an MEA, it has been possible to manage all the situations in which functionality of the device is worth being preserved.

Delayed Effect of Active Pressure Treatment on Endolymphatic Hydrops.

OBJECTIVE: To identify eventual correlations between the effect of low-pressure treatment and endolymphatic hydrops in Ménière patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of subjects affected by definite Ménière disease (2015) and a severe degree of disability, who received a ventilation tube with or without a low-pressure treatment before undergoing a surgical procedure (vestibular neurectomy). After the placement of the ventilation tube, the subjects were either left alone with the tube or received 1 month of self-administered low-pressure therapy with a portable device. In all subjects, an electrocochleography (ECochG) was performed and specific questionnaires - Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and Functional Scale Level (FSL) - were completed before starting either arm of treatment, at the end of treatment, and then 3 and 6 months later. RESULTS: All selected subjects presented with an ECochG pattern that was indicative of endolymphatic hydrops before starting either treatment. At the end of pressure treatment, 80% showed symptomatic improvement while maintaining the hydropic ECochG pattern. At the 3-month control stage, the hydropic pattern resulted normalized (<0.5) in all the improved subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Although 1 month of low-pressure treatment provided a positive symptomatological outcome, normalization of the hydropic ECochG parameters occurred only at a later time. Therefore, it is possible to assume that endolymphatic hydrops could be concurrent with a non-symptomatic stage of Ménière disease, and that the anti-hydropic effect of the low-pressure treatment, if any, would present with a certain delay after its completion.

The role of cochlear implantation in alleviating Tumarkin drop attacks of Meniere's disease; a case report.

Ménière's disease (MD) patients may suffer episodes of sudden falls, named Tumarkin drop attacks (DAs). This fall occurs abruptly and without warning or loss of consciousness. DAs usually aggravate the clinical picture of MD and are challenging to manage. The present report describes a case treated by cochlear implantation (CI) due to concomitant deafness and offers some clinical considerations for this condition. A male patient aged 48 years with a 10-year history of definite bilateral MD had profound SNHL on the right and severe SNHL on the left side. He suffered from intermittent attacks of vertigo, ear fullness, and tinnitus and, in the last year, had developed DAs and experienced 14 episodes in the previous six months. The preoperative category of acoustic performance was 3. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire showed a total score of 46, which indicated a moderate degree of disability. A CI was planned for the right side. The patient did not report any further DAs episode for two years since then. The postoperative category of acoustic performance became 11, and the postoperative DHI questionnaire showed a decrease in the total score (from 46 to 19), which indicated a mild disability. Unilateral CI effectively alleviated the DAs associated with bilateral MD. Our report proposes a new modality for managing vertiginous symptoms in cases of MD with hearing loss without the need for more aggressive surgical interventions with the need for clinical trials to confirm our results.

On the battery life of a totally implantable active middle ear device: a retrospective study in a single implanting center.

BACKGROUND: Totally-implantable active middle ear devices (AMED) rely on a non-rechargeable battery encased with the implantable sound processor that needs to be replaced with a minor surgical procedure after its depletion. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the most significant factors affecting the implant's battery life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The implanted subjects (29 patients) were divided into three groups; group A with 17 patients who underwent one battery change surgery; group B with ten patients who underwent two battery changes; and group C with two patients and three surgeries. The battery life was put in correlation with several variables, including daily use and the auditory threshold. RESULTS: The battery life ranged from 26 to 67 months, with a mean of 48.93 ± 13.47. Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed that the battery life was statistically correlated only with the mean post-implantation bone conduction thresholds (p-value <.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Although the non-rechargeable battery system of the AMED under study overcomes the drawbacks of daily charging, it needs to be surgically changed after its depletion. The different rates of battery life were shown to mainly depend on the post-implantation BC thresholds, which in some cases showed a deterioration concerning the pre-implanting values.

The impact of labyrinthine magnetic resonance signal alterations on the treatment of sudden sensory-neural hearing loss.

BACKGROUND: Sudden sensory-neural hearing loss (SSNHL), with positive findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), possibly related to labyrinthine hemorrhage, is a rare condition and difficult to be diagnosed. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the role of MRI in detecting labyrinthine signal changes and the impact of these changes on the prognosis of SSNHL after the intratympanic corticosteroid injection. METHODS: A prospective study was held between January and June 2022. We included patients who complained of SSNHL, either idiopathic (30 patients) or labyrinthine signal alterations (14 patients), as diagnosed by MRI performed 15 days after the SSNHL onset. In addition, all patients underwent a course of intratympanic prednisolone injections. RESULTS: 83.3% of the idiopathic group showed a complete or marked improvement after the intratympanic injection. Conversely, most cases of positive MR signal alterations (92.8%) had slight or poor improvement after the therapeutic course. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that MRI imaging is essential for assessing any SSNHL case. It can diagnose labyrinthine hemorrhage, whose course and prognosis differ significantly from idiopathic SSNHL. SIGNIFICANCE: Intratympanic prednisolone injection was effective in managing idiopathic SSNHL. On the other hand, this therapeutic modality was ineffective in improving SSNHL associated with labyrinthine hemorrhage.

Long-Term Follow-Up of the Auditory Threshold After a Fully Implantable Middle Ear Implant.

A fully implantable active middle ear device has been proposed and indicated for the rehabilitation of bilateral moderate or moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss, assuming it would overcome the disadvantages of a conventional hearing aid. The indications have further been extended to severe or severe-to-profound forms of hearing loss in the case of an expected limited or null efficacy of hearing aids. While the literature has highlighted several positive aspects of the device, including a better quality of life related to its invisibility, the improvement of auditory and perceptual functions has not been controlled for throughout a long period of follow-up. The present study aimed to verify the behavior of the auditory threshold, especially the bone conduction (BC) component, in the implanted ear in a group of implantees affected by initial bilateral symmetric hearing loss of different severity grades. The BC threshold was assessed preoperatively at activation and at the last follow-up (ranging from 4 to 12 years) in the implanted ear, and preoperatively and at the last follow-up in the contralateral ear, to monitor eventual deteriorated values in both ears over time. The pure tone average (PTA; 250-4,000 Hz), speech reception threshold (SRT) and the maximum word recognition score as a percentage (% WRS) and in dB HL were measured in the implanted ear to verify the efficacy of the device after the first fitting at device activation. A significant worsening of the BC threshold with respect to the baseline threshold was noticed during further follow-up. When comparing the implanted ear with the contralateral ear, a significant worsening of the bone PTA was assessed in the former with respect to the contralateral ear. Despite the worsened hearing found in the implanted ears, the beneficial gains in PTA and speech audiometry observed at the first activation remained constant at the follow-up, thus showing an extension of the efficacy of this device in aiding those with up to the most severe forms of sensorineural hearing loss.

Thulium laser in stapedotomy surgery.

BACKGROUND: Thulium laser use in stapedotomy surgery is usually associated with many doubts regarding the thermal effect on the vestibular area and the production of acoustic shock waves, which may result in permanent complications. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Thulium laser use in stapedotomy and its long-term effects on the clinical and audiological results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was a retrospective randomized case-series study. We included 148 otosclerosis patients. They were divided randomly into two groups; group A (multiple shots) included 62 patients and group B (one shot with a manual perforator) included 86 patients. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant improvement of the ABG in both groups. ABG closure (<10 dB) occurred in 87.1% of patients in group A, and 89.5% of patients in group B. Intraoperative complications were more in group B (p-value = 0.038). The postoperative complications were more in group A (p-value = .017). CONCLUSIONS: According to our experience on a relatively large number of cases, the Thulium laser is a safe tool to be used in stapedotomy either in multiple shots or one shot with a manual perforator. It improved functional hearing efficiently without showing signs of inner ear impairment.

Evaluation of prednisolone and prednisolone sodium succinate concentrations in human plasma and inner ear perilymph during cochlear implantation 24 h after intratympanic injection.

BACKGROUND: The use of intratympanic (IT) steroids has drastically increased over the past 10-15 years to manage many otological pathologies. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the concentrations of prednisolone and prednisolone sodium succinate (SS) in the plasma and inner ear perilymph of participants who underwent cochlear implantation 24 h after IT injection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a prospective comparative randomized study. Twenty participants received an IT injection of prednisolone SS ∼24 h before the cochlear implantation. The other five participants received an IT saline injection and represented the control group. Perilymph and blood were sampled during the cochlear implantation surgery. RESULTS: Both prednisolone and prednisolone SS were still present in perilymph ∼24 h after the IT administration. Only prednisolone was present in the blood plasma of seven participants (35%). CONCLUSION: IT injection of prednisolone SS resulted in high perilymph concentrations of prednisolone and prednisolone SS, which could stay in the perilymph for at least 24 h. Using a mini-endoscope during the IT injection may effectively detect barriers infront of the round window membrane, increasing the drug concentration in the inner ear. SIGNIFICANCE: IT injection is an effective method for delivering prednisolone to the inner ear.

Proposal of a magnetic resonance imaging follow-up protocol after cholesteatoma surgery: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Non-echo planar (EPI) diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI has become an effective tool for the follow-up after cholesteatoma surgery and decreased the rate of second-look surgeries. OBJECTIVES: To shed light on the optimal imaging follow-up protocol to detect postoperative residual or recurrent cholesteatoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 64 patients were included in this prospective study. Three different surgical procedures were considered: canal-wall-up (26 patients), canal-wall-down (20 patients), and obliterative (18 patients). The imaging follow-up protocol included non-EPI DW MRI during the following postoperative periods: 1 month, 6 months, and 1, 3, 5, and 7 years after the primary surgery. RESULTS: MRI-positive lesions were present in 18.75% of patients. 50% of the MRI-positive findings occurred at the 1-month follow-up. The other peak of MRI positivity occurred at the 3-year follow-up. The last MRI-positive finding appeared at the 5-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The timing for the imaging protocol proposed by this prospective study to detect recidivism after cholesteatoma surgery stressed the importance of performing non-EPI DW MRI for detecting residual, though rare, disease. Likewise, extending the follow-up to a least 5 years after primary surgery was also recommended to detect any recurrent cholesteatoma that would appear unlikely to be present beyond this time set.

The Use of Nanoparticles in Otoprotection.

The inner ear can be insulted by various noxious stimuli, including drugs (cisplatin and aminoglycosides) and over-acoustic stimulation. These stimuli damage the hair cells giving rise to progressive hearing loss. Systemic drugs have attempted protection from ototoxicity. Most of these drugs poorly reach the inner ear with consequent ineffective action on hearing. The reason for these failures resides in the poor inner ear blood supply, the presence of the blood-labyrinthine barrier, and the low permeability of the round window membrane (RWM). This article presents a review of the use of nanoparticles (NPs) in otoprotection. NPs were recently used in many fields of medicine because of their ability to deliver drugs to the target organs or cells. The studies included in the review regarded the biocompatibility of the used NPs by in vitro and in vivo experiments. In most studies, NPs proved safe without a significant decrease in cell viability or signs of ototoxicity. Many nano-techniques were used to improve the drugs' kinetics and efficiency. These techniques included encapsulation, polymerization, surface functionalization, and enhanced drug release. In such a way, it improved drug transmission through the RWM with increased and prolonged intra-cochlear drug concentrations. In all studies, the fabricated drug-NPs effectively preserved the hair cells and the functioning hearing from exposure to different ototoxic stimuli, simulating the actual clinical circumstances. Most of these studies regarded cisplatin ototoxicity due to the wide use of this drug in clinical oncology. Dexamethasone (DEX) and antioxidants represent the most used drugs in most studies. These drugs effectively prevented apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production caused by ototoxic stimuli. These various successful experiments confirmed the biocompatibility of different NPs and made it successfully to human clinical trials.

On the Effect of Bimodal Rehabilitation in Asymmetric Hearing Loss.

BACKGROUND: Bone conductive implants (BCI) have been reported to provide greater beneficial effects for the auditory and perceptual functions of the contralateral ear in patients presenting with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) compared to those with single-sided deafness (SSD). The aim of the study was to assess the effects of wearing a conventional hearing aid in the contralateral ear on BCI in terms of an improved overall auditory performance. METHODS: eleven AHL subjects wearing a BCI in their worse hearing ear underwent an auditory evaluation by pure tone and speech audiometry in free field. This study group was obtained by adding to the AHL patients those SSD subjects that, during the follow-up, showed deterioration of the hearing threshold of the contralateral ear, thus presenting with the features of AHL. Four different conditions were tested and compared: unaided, with BCI only, with contralateral hearing aid (CHA) only and with BCI combined with CHA. RESULTS: all of the prosthetic conditions caused a significant improvement with respect to the unaided condition. When a CHA was adopted, its combination with the BCI showed significantly better auditory performances than those achieved with the BCI only. CONCLUSIONS: the present study suggests the beneficial role of a CHA in BCI-implanted AHL subjects in terms of overall auditory performance.

The impact of surgical masks on the nasal function in the COVID-19 era.

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemics has obliged to using different types of personal protective devices (PPD) for a prolonged time of the day, especially in the Health Centers, with preference of surgical masks (SM) during the first pandemic waves. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the eventual changes of the nasal respiratory condition during continuous SM wearing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fourteen healthcare professionals filled a visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaire for the detection of eventual nasal breathing impairment or symptoms. Nasal resistance and flow values were obtained via the active anterior rhinomanometry (AAR) that was performed under the basal condition, as well as immediately after wearing the surgical mask (SM) and 3 h after its continuous use. RESULTS: The increase of inspiratory resistance was significantly correlated to the reduction of the maximum flux, when comparing SM parameters to the basal ones (r = -0.70, p < .05). At VAS evaluation, SM wearing showed to induce itching in 70% of the subjects, nasal dryness in 55%, nasal blockage in 50%, headache in 39%, watery nasal discharge in 20% and sneezing in 18%. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The SMs do not induce evident physiological variations of the nasal function due to a compensatory respiratory mechanism that, despite a progressive increase of nasal resistances, is not inducing significant changes of the nasal fluxes.

Early non-EPI DW-MRI after cholesteatoma surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Middle ear cholesteatoma may lead to the erosion of the bony structures of the temporal bone, possibly causing intra- and extracranial complications. Surgical treatment is mandatory, and due to possible residual/recurrent disease, the use of reliable diagnostic methods is essential. Our study aimed to evaluate the reliability of non-EPI DW-MRI for the follow-up of cholesteatoma after surgery. METHODS: In a study group including 53 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for cholesteatoma at a tertiary university hospital, an imaging protocol was applied, including non-echo planar diffusion-weighted imaging magnetic resonance (MR) at 1 month after surgery and then at 6 and 12 months after surgery. Based on the combination of preoperative assessment and intraoperative findings, the study group was divided into 3 subgroups: petrous bone (PB) cholesteatoma, complicated cholesteatoma and uncomplicated cholesteatoma. PB cholesteatoma patients were treated by a subtotal petrosectomy, whereas complicated and uncomplicated cholesteatoma patients were treated either by a canal wall up procedure or a retrograde (inside-out) canal wall down technique with bone obliteration technique (BOT). RESULTS: The results show that patients who had positive findings on non-EPI DW-MRI scans 1 month after surgery consequently underwent revision surgery during which residual cholesteatoma was noted. All the patients who displayed negative findings on non-EPI DWI-MRI scan at 1 month after surgery did not show the presence of a lesion at the 6- and 12-month evaluations. The 6 patients who displayed residual cholesteatoma at the 1-month follow-up presented dehiscence/exposure of the facial nerve canal at the primary surgery, mostly at the level of the labyrinthine segment. CONCLUSION: Non-EPI DW-MRI is a useful and reliable tool for follow-up cholesteatoma surgery, and when applied early, as was done in the protocol proposed in the present study, this tool may be used to detect the presence of residual cholesteatoma in some patients, prompting the planning of early revision surgery.

Bone conductive implantation in asymmetric hearing loss (AHL).

Background: Bone conductive implants (BCI) represent one possible solution for rehabilitation of single-sided deafness (SSD).Aims: The aim of the present study was to verify the efficacy of bone conduction implantation in subjects with unilateral severe-to-profound hearing loss and contralaterally impaired hearing, that is, asymmetric hearing loss (AHL), and to compare it with known BCI indications for SSD.Material and methods: Twenty-one subjects received BCI for either SSD or AHL. All of the subjects underwent a battery of audiological and subjective tests, Data were collected and statistically evaluated within and between the SSD group and the AHL group.Results: A PTA threshold gain was observed in AHL patients along with improved values in speech audiometry in quiet and noise. The two visual analogue scale evaluations (QoL and QoS) and the GBI showed significantly better scores in AHL patients compared to SSD patients.Conclusions: BCI provided improvement for auditory or speech recognition in AHL subjects, as compare to SSD. From these findings, it is possible to predict a positive role of BCI for some audiological aspects of AHL subjects that are generally not present or not detectable in SSD cases.

Rehabilitation of severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss with an active middle ear implant.

Background: Severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss (spSNHL) is mostly relying on the use of a cochlear implant (CI).Aims: The present study reports on the auditory outcome from a group of subjects affected by spSNHL who received an AMEI application.Materials and methods: Nine out of 43 subjects who received a fully-implantable AMEI were initially candidated as off-label (primary off-label group or POLG). Twelve subjects showed over time a decrease in bone conduction threshold (BCT) in the operated ear (Secondary Off-Label Group or SOLG): SOLGa with no detectable BCT (9 subjects), SOLGb with residual low-frequency BCT (3 subjects). The auditory assessment included pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry in quiet and noise.Results: A significant PTA5 difference was found at activation in SOLGb group and at the last fitting in SOLGa Group in respect to the label control group. No significant difference was found between POLG group and control group. Speech audiometry in noise revealed a significant lower gain in all three groups in comparison to the control group.Conclusions: The adoption of an AMEI in unconventional indications could be beneficial also for subjects with spSNHL, although this solution can in some cases only be transient before performing CI surgery.

Transitions in auditory rehabilitation with bone conduction implants (BCI).

BACKGROUND: The bone conductive implants (BCI) are nowadays a reliable alternative for rehabilitation of specific forms of hearing loss, i.e. conductive, mixed or single sided deafness (SSD). Aims/Objective: To analyse the various factors in play when considering an auditory rehabilitation with a bone-conductive device (BCI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical charts of subjects who underwent BCI application at the same Implanting Center from 2005 to 2018 were retrieved analysing also the reason for eventual explantation and the alternative option (transition) for hearing rehabilitation. RESULTS: Nine BAHA Compact, 4 BAHA Intenso, 21 BAHA Divino, 3 BAHA BP100, 4 Ponto, 2 Sophono, 5 Bonebridge, 5 BAHA5 Attract; 11 BAHA5 Connect were used in 12 unilateral COM; 16 bilateral COM; 3 unilateral cholesteatoma; 6 bilateral cholesteatoma; 2 unilateral otosclerosis; 5 bilateral otosclerosis; 9 congenital malformations; 6 major otoneurosurgical procedures; 5 sudden deafness. Explantation was necessary for five subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Middle ear pathology and sequels from surgery represent the most common reason for BCI implantation, both in unilateral and in bilateral cases. Transition from one implantable device to another one can be predictable, mostly when explantation is necessary. SIGNIFICANCE: The role of BCI for rehabilitation in middle ear pathology may be extremely important.

Video Head Impulse Test in Labyrinthine Fistula due to Middle Ear Cholesteatoma.

OBJECTIVES: To assess and monitor lateral semicircular canal (LSC) function over time in patients affected by chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma (CHO) complicated by fistula of LSC (LSC-F) before and after surgery using video Head Impulse Test (vHIT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients aged 18-67 years affected by CHO with imaging-ascertained LSC-F were included in this preliminary prospective study. The following protocol has been applied: oto-microscopic diagnosis with patient's history; computed tomography scan of the temporal bone; surgery with concomitant resurfacing of LSF-F; audiological and vestibular evaluation before surgery (T0) and at 30 days (T1), 6 months (T2), and 1 year after surgery (T3). vHIT was used to assess vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in LSC. RESULTS: None of the patients showed deterioration of bone conduction hearing levels during the different time of evaluation. Three patients showed a reduced VOR gain and catch-up saccades at T0, with VOR gain normalization at T2. This finding remained stable at the 1-year follow-up. The VOR gain in the nonaffected side generally experienced an increase, paralleled by the normalization on the affected side, with statistically significant correlation. The subjects with normal vHIT before surgery did not show any variation following surgery. CONCLUSION: vHIT allows the assessment of LSC function in case of fistula. The adopted surgical fistula repair did not induce deterioration of the auditory or LSC function, but indeed, it could prevent worsening and help promoting recovery to the normal function.

Validation of the objective assessment of facial movement with a new software-based system.

BACKGROUND: Most used subjective Unilateral Peripheral Facial Palsy (UPFP) grading systems are characterized by high variability and low reproducibility and doesn't allow a separate evaluation of single facial regions. OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability of a new objective method for classification of UPFP, comparing it with House-Brackmann (HB) and Sunnybrook facial grading (SFGS) systems. METHOD: Forty-seven patients affected by UPFP of different HB grade were included. Each patient underwent a blinded examination by three different operators, via the two subjective methods (HBGS and SFGS) and a newly proposed objective one, that was obtained from a digital video-analysis, named SMART FACIAL system. Results were converted by validated conversion scales into HBGS grades and statistically compared. RESULTS: In 87,23% (n° 41 pts) consistency was found between the grades obtained with all the three evaluation methods; in 10,41% (n°5 pts), between HBGS and SFGS grade and in 2,08% (n°1 pt) between HBGS grades and SMART-FACIAL system. Statistical analysis showed significant correlation among the three systems (p < .000). CONCLUSIONS: The SMART FACIAL system presents high reliability also in comparison with the most frequently used subjective methods. SIGNIFICANCE: This method represents a fast, simple and thorough way to analyze UPFP, especially during physical rehabilitation.