Risk stratification in endoscopic type I. tympanoplasty.

Purpose: Several risk factors were studied in endoscopic type I. tympanoplasty, however, an easy-to-use risk stratification model is still missing.

Methods: Retrospective chart review, focusing on individual risk factors and middle ear risk index (MERI).

Limitations of non-echo planar diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (non-EPI MRI) in cholesteatoma surveillance after ossicular chain reconstruction. A prospective study.

Objective: Non-echo planar diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging is a reliable surveillance tool of residual cholesteatoma nowadays. It is not known whether the material of the ossicular chain prosthesis modifies the sensitivity and specificity of MRI in these cases. The aim of the study was to compare the sensitivity, specificity and a localization-specific accuracy of non-EPI DW MRI sequences for residual cholesteatoma in the following 3 subgroups: patients with titanium ossicular prosthesis (group T), with autologous cortical bone columella (group A) or without any reconstruction (group WR) of hearing bones.

[Mal de débarquement syndrome – “sickness of disembarkment”].

Mal de débarquement syndrome is an uncommon vestibular disorder characterized by a constant sensation of swaying or motion after one disembarks from a vehicle such as a ship or plane, however, spontaneous onset also appears. These symptoms temporarily subside when the patient is subjected again to passive motion like driving a car. Chronic fatigue, anxiety, and depression are frequently associated with primary symptoms.

Does The Type of Ossicular Chain Lesion Affect Outcomes in Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media Without Cholesteatoma?

Objectives: We evaluated the pattern of ossicular chain (OC) lesion in chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) without cholesteatoma and its impact on outcomes in primary and revision surgeries.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective chart review. Patients who underwent tympanoplasty due to CSOM with OC defect between 2010 and 2015 were included in the study.

A unique manifestation of Langerhans cell histiocytosis: Diagnostic and therapeutic considerations of atypical cases.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is regarded as a clonal disease, usually carrying the activating BRAF mutation V600E. Although LCH theoretically may affect all types of human tissue and typically appears during childhood, temporal bone involvement in adult patients is exceedingly rare. We report an atypical case of a 56-year-old man as one of the oldest patients diagnosed with temporal bone involvement of a BRAF-negative LCH, which caused painless otorrhea and hearing loss.

Comparative analysis of preoperative diagnostic values of HRCT and CBCT in patients with histologically diagnosed otosclerotic stapes footplates.

This prospective case review was performed with the aim to compare and asses the diagnostic values of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in the preoperative evaluation of otosclerosis. A total of 43 patients with histologically confirmed stapedial otosclerosis, who underwent unilateral stapedectomies were analyzed. Preoperative temporal bone CBCT and HRCT scans were performed in all cases.

Severe neck infections that require wide external drainage: clinical analysis of 17 consecutive cases.

Infections in the neck layers and spaces are potentially life-threatening diseases causing further complications, like mediastinitis, airway obstruction, or sepsis. Despite of the need for a conservative approach, they still regularly require surgical intervention. Records of 17 patients with severe neck infections that were treated by wide external incision and open wound management were retrospectively analyzed.

Primary tuberculosis of the middle ear cleft: diagnostic and therapeutic considerations.

Tuberculosis remains one of the most challenging infectious diseases, which rarely manifests in the middle ear cleft exclusively. Typical symptoms of tuberculosis have become more and more confusing due to the genetic evolution of different Mycobacterium species. In the diagnosis of tuberculous otitis media (TOM), clinical suspicion plays a fundamental role, when topical and/or systemic antibiotic treatment cannot lead to improvement in ear discharge and inflammation.

Expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2, 4, 5, and 7 correlates with histological activity of otosclerotic foci.

Conclusion: This study is the first to establish that bone morphogenetic protein 5 (BMP5) plays a role in the pathogenesis of otosclerosis. These results confirm that elevated expression levels of BMPs, members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β superfamily, contribute to the pathologically increased bone turnover in early, active stages of otosclerosis.

Objectives: Otosclerosis is a complex bone remodeling disorder of the otic capsule, which might be characterized by increased expression of different types of BMPs.

No evidence for disturbed COL1A1 and A2 expression in otosclerosis.

Otosclerosis is a complex bone remodeling disorder of the human otic capsule that might be associated with various mutations of A1 and A2 alleles of type-I collagen. The study herein presented, investigates the possibilty of the genetic involvement of type-I collagen in the pathogenesis of histologically confirmed otosclerosis. A total of 55 ankylotic stapes footplates were analyzed.

Otosclerosis: disturbed balance between cell survival and apoptosis.

Hypothesis: Otosclerosis is an inflammatory bone remodeling disorder of the human otic capsule, which might be characterized by a disturbed balance between cell survival and apoptosis due to an increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, mainly tumor necrosis factor-[alpha] (TNF-[alpha]).

Background: Histologic features of otosclerosis have been well described; however, different histopathologic and clinical stages have not been attributed precisely to the molecular biology of the pathologically increased metabolism of bone-forming and bone-resorbing cells.

Methods: Forty ankylotic stapes footplates (n = 40, males = 17, females = 23) removed by stapedectomy were histologically analyzed by conventional hematoxylin-eosin staining, and hCIAP1/2 (inhibitors of apoptosis) and granzyme-[beta] (apoptosis inducer) specific immunofluorescent assays were performed.

Histopathology of nonotosclerotic stapes fixations.

Hypothesis: Different diseases without exact histopathologic classification can cause stapes ankylosis.

Background: Otosclerosis is a complex bone remodeling disorder of the otic capsule due to persisting measles virus infection and consecutive inflammatory reaction. In fact, clinical and demographic features of otosclerosis have reference to stapes ankylosis.

Dual effect of pyruvate in isolated nerve terminals: generation of reactive oxygen species and protection of aconitase.

Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in synaptosomes was investigated in the presence of different substrates. When pyruvate was used as a substrate an increased rate of hydrogen peroxide formation was detected by the Amplex Red fluorescent assay, but aconitase, which is known to be a highly sensitive enzyme to ROS was not inhibited. In contrast, pyruvate exerted a partial protection on aconitase against a time-dependent inactivation that occurred when synaptosomes were incubated in the absence of substrates.