Incidental Findings on MRIs for Asymmetric Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Clinical and Economic Analysis.

Background: The gold-standard assessment of asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) is contrast-enhanced MRI. Although rates of identifying a vestibular schwannoma are low (<5%), it is generally accepted as cost-effective. Yet, the impact of incidentalomas is rarely considered.

Mitigating Infection Risk in Upper Airway Stimulation.

Objective: This study aims to define the incidence of infection with upper airway stimulation (UAS) devices requiring explantation in a single academic center and identify factors that may influence the risk of infection.

Methods: A database of patients who underwent UAS at a single tertiary referral academic center from 2017 to 2021 was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients who developed surgical site infections, with and without subsequent explantation. Additional data for cases complicated by infection was extracted from the electronic medical record (EMR) and included: demographic information, medical history, complications and management, and overall outcomes.

The association of subjective and objective sleep measures with chronic tinnitus.

Study Objectives: Poor sleep is a prevalent complaint in the population with chronic tinnitus, but the relationship between the two is not well-characterized. The objective of this study was to understand how subjective and objective measures of sleep compare in patients with or without chronic tinnitus.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included consecutive adult patients who presented to a sleep laboratory between January 19, 2017, and January 10, 2020.

Should lateral wall collapse be a contraindication for hypoglossal nerve stimulation?

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine how lateral wall collapse affects treatment outcomes for hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) patients.

Methods: Patients (n = 111) queried from a single surgeon's database of HNS cases were divided into groups based on their degree of oropharyngeal lateral wall collapse noted on drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE): Complete, Partial, None. For each group, apnea hypopnea index (AHI) reduction, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score, stimulation voltage, average nightly usage, need for alternate device configuration/awake sleep endoscopy, and rate of surgical success were collected.

Respiratory Sensing Lead Malfunction in Upper Airway Stimulation: A Single Institution Report.

Objectives: Upper airway stimulation (UAS) is an effective treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The device consists of a stimulating electrode, an internal pulse generator, and a respiratory sensing lead. The purpose of this study is to characterize the incidence of sensing lead malfunction necessitating revision surgery in a high-volume center in conjunction with a review of the FDA Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database reports on adverse events associated with the sensing lead component.

Early effects of very early cochlear implant activation on tinnitus.

Background: Cochlear implantation (CI) has long been the standard of care for patients with severe-to-profound hearing impairment. Yet the benefits of CI extend far beyond speech understanding, with mounting recent literature supporting its role in tinnitus abatement. However, those studies have uniformly analyzed the effects of tinnitus after the traditional 3-4 weeks waiting period between CI surgery and device activation.

The Nasogenital Reflex: Imprudence of the Past as a Lesson for a Wiser Future.

The history of the nasogenital reflex, a theory that purports a bidirectional pathway between the nose and genitalia, reveals a complex and diverse record spanning back to antiquity and across the Eurasian continent. This article examines how an antiquated medical theory made its way into early contemporary medicine, and the lesson this account serves as otolaryngology-head and neck surgery continues to work toward making all its interventions based on a hierarchy of evidence.