Breaking Sound Barriers: Exploring Tele-Audiology's Impact on Hearing Healthcare.

Hearing impairment is a global issue, affecting billions of people; however, there is a gap between the population affected by hearing loss and those able to access hearing healthcare. Tele-audiology, the application of telemedicine in audiology, serves as a new form of technology which aims to provide synchronous or asynchronous hearing healthcare. In this article, we reviewed some recent studies of tele-audiology-related topics to have a glimpse of the current development, associated challenges, and future advancement.

Normal Weight Central Obesity is a Poor Prognostic Factor for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Objectives: To investigate the role of normal weight central obesity (NWCO) in the prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

Methods: We retrospectively investigated 807 cases of SSNHL from January of 2008 to August of 2019 from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital in southern Taiwan. We analyzed the association between overweight and obesity, NWCO, and the prognosis of SSNHL.

Endoscopic Versus Microscopic Type I Tympanoplasty: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: Our objective was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the clinical outcomes after endoscopic and microscopic type I tympanoplasty.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trials, two-arm prospective studies, and retrospective studies were included.

Setting: Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched until March 1, 2022 using the combinations of search terms: "endoscopic," "microscopic," and "tympanoplasty.

Endoscopic atticotomy for attic cholesteatomas using piezosurgery.

Background: Attic cholesteatomas can be exenterated by transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES). In the limited operative field of exclusive transcanal endoscopic atticotomy, surgeons use either a piezosurgery scalpel or a drilling system to remove the posterior lateral bony wall of the epitympanum. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of using piezosurgery or microdrill for endoscopic atticotomy during exenteration of attic cholesteatomas.

Long-term voice outcomes of medialization thyroplasty with adjustable implant for unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Objectives: Medialization thyroplasty (MT) using various implants has been employed as a corrective procedure for unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). A newly developed APrevent vocal implant system (VOIS) offers an innovative solution with a finely adjustable design. This study aimed to investigate the long-term functional voice outcomes and benefits of postoperative adjustments in patients receiving MT using the VOIS-implant.

Quantitative transmastoid ultrasound for detecting middle ear effusion in pediatric patients.

Background And Objective: Ultrasound has emerged as a promising modality for detecting middle ear effusion (MEE) in pediatric patients. Among different ultrasound techniques, ultrasound mastoid measurement was proposed to allow noninvasive detection of MEE by estimating the Nakagami parameters of backscattered signals to describe the echo amplitude distribution. This study further developed the multiregional-weighted Nakagami parameter (MNP) of the mastoid as a new ultrasound signature for assessing effusion severity and fluid properties in pediatric patients with MEE.

Sound Pressure Distribution in the Ear After Radical Mastoidectomy With Meatoplasty.

Objective: We aimed to identify the sound pressure distribution along the external auditory canal after radical mastoidectomy with meatoplasty by combining real ear measurements and measurements obtained using a finite-element model.

Study Design: Case series with chart review.

Setting: Tertiary care university hospital.

Endoscopic transcanal transtympanic myringoplasty vs. endoscopic transcanal tympanoplasty: 1-year follow-up study.

Background: Endoscopic transcanal transtympanic myringoplasty (ETTM) is a relatively easier technique than endoscopic transcanal tympanoplasty (ETT) for repairing tympanic membrane perforations. No studies have compared the outcomes of these two procedures with tragal perichondrium after 1-year. Furthermore, there is no evidence-based stratification according to variations in perforation size in endoscopic ear surgery.

Endoscopic tympanoplasty with post-conchal perichondrium in repairing large-sized eardrum perforations.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the outcomes of endoscopic tympanoplasty with post-conchal perichondrium (PCP) and microscopic tympanoplasty with temporalis fascia in repairing large-sized eardrum perforations.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 43 patients who underwent type 1 tympanoplasty for simple large-sized perforations. The patients were divided into two groups: Group I (endoscopic ear surgery with a PCP graft, 22 patients) and Group II (microscopic ear surgery with temporalis fascia, 21 patients).

Transmastoid Ultrasound Detection of Middle Ear Effusion and Its Association with Clinical Audiometric Tests.

Medical history taking, otoscopy, tympanometry, and audiometry are clinical methods to diagnose middle ear effusion (MEE); however, these procedures are experience-dependent and result in misdiagnosis under unfavorable conditions of the external auditory canal in non-cooperative young children. This study aimed to explore the use of transmastoid ultrasound combined with the Nakagami parameter analysis to detect MEE in children aged 3−5 years and to compare the proposed method with clinical evaluation methods. A total of forty subjects were enrolled; for each subject, a single-element ultrasound transducer of 2.

Preliminary Clinical Outcomes of VOIS-Implant in Patients With Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis.

Objectives/hypothesis: Evaluation of the clinical outcomes after 6 months of treatment with a novel adjustable implant, the APrevent® Vocal-Implant-System (VOIS), in conjunction with medialization thyroplasty (MT) in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Study Design: Prospective case series study at single tertiary referral center.

Methods: Preoperative and 1 week, 7 weeks, and 6 months postoperative glottal efficiency (maximum phonation time [MPT]), voice quality (including GRBAS-scores and acoustic parameters) and self-perceived voice-related handicap (voice handicap index [VHI-30]) were measured and analyzed, whereas type of vocal fold closure was evaluated and determined by flexible videolaryngoscopy based on Södersten and Lindestad classification (Wilcoxon signed-rank test).

Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by recurring hypoxic-apneic events during sleep, and labyrinthine vascular compromise is a pathophysiologic hallmark of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Some reports have discussed the relationship between OSA and hearing impairment; however, few have examined hearing prognosis in OSA and patients without OSA with ISSNHL. We aimed to investigate clinical manifestations of ISSNHL in patients with OSA, including severity of hearing loss and response to treatment.

An Endoscopic Transcanal Transpromontorial Approach for Vestibular Schwannomas using a Computer-Based Three-Dimensional Imaging System.

A 2D monocular endoscope has been used in transcanal transpromontory vestibular schwannoma surgery instead of craniotomy. However, the absence of depth perception is the limitation of this approach. With the loss of depth perception, the surgeon will be not able to perform delicate and particularly complicated surgery.

Comparative Study of Endoscopic and Microscopic Type I Tympanoplasty in Terms of Delayed Facial Palsy.

Objective: Delayed facial palsy is a complication of otologic surgery. Tympanoplasty is commonly employed in chronic otitis media. We compared the incidence and characteristics of delayed facial palsy and hearing restoration between endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty for the treatment of simple chronic otitis media.

Endoscopic transcanal removal of external auditory canal osteomas.

Background: External auditory canal (EAC) osteomas are rare, slow-growing benign neoplasms. Microscopic surgical excision had been reported for symptomatic osteomas. However, there was no study published on the feasibility of transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) for EAC osteoma.

Frequency-domain CBE imaging for ultrasound localization of the HIFU focal spot: a feasibility study.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a well-accepted tool for noninvasive thermal therapy. To control the quality of HIFU treatment, the focal spot generated in tissues must be localized. Ultrasound imaging can monitor heated regions; in particular, the change in backscattered energy (CBE) allows parametric imaging to visualize thermal information in the tissue.

Miniaturized Flexible Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors: Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate) Copolymers Blended with Graphene Oxide for Biomedical Applications.

Piezoresistive pressure sensors have garnered significant attention because of their wide applications in automobiles, intelligent buildings, and biomedicine. For in vivo testing, the size of pressure sensors is a vital factor to monitor the pressure of specific portions of a human body. Therefore, the primary focus of this study is to miniaturize piezoresistive pressure sensors with graphene oxide (GO)-incorporated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) composite films on a flexible substrate for biomedical applications.

Feasibility of High-Resolution Computed Tomography Imaging for Obtaining Ear Impressions for Hearing Aid Fitting.

Objective: This study investigated the feasibility of obtaining ear impressions for hearing aids by using 3-dimensional high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images.

Study Design: Case series.

Setting: One referral tertiary center.

Novel three-dimensional image system for endoscopic ear surgery.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of conventional two-dimensional (2D) endoscope with a novel computer-based three-dimensional (3D) imaging system for otologic surgical procedures.

Methods: A conventional 2D monocular endoscope with a novel computer-based 3D imaging system was applied to 18 otologic surgical procedures, including chronic otitis media (COM), cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, external canal osteoma and cochlear implant. Operation duration and complications of COM and attic cholesteatoma were recorded to compare 2D and 3D endoscopic ear surgery.

Sleep apnea and risk of vertigo: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the risk of vertigo in patients with sleep apnea.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: This study used data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, a population-based database.

Small-window parametric imaging based on information entropy for ultrasound tissue characterization.

Constructing ultrasound statistical parametric images by using a sliding window is a widely adopted strategy for characterizing tissues. Deficiency in spatial resolution, the appearance of boundary artifacts, and the prerequisite data distribution limit the practicability of statistical parametric imaging. In this study, small-window entropy parametric imaging was proposed to overcome the above problems.