Risk of sensorineural hearing loss in patients with vitiligo.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of hearing loss and vestibular symptoms among Israeli vitiligo patients as compared with healthy controls.

Methods: 16 vitiligo patients and 16 healthy controls were enrolled in this prospective study. Vitiligo patients had undergone dermatologic evaluation and complete ENT evaluation.

Multicentre investigation on electrically evoked compound action potential and stapedius reflex: how do these objective measures relate to implant programming parameters?

Objectives: The aims of this study were to collect data on electrically evoked compound action potential (eCAP) and electrically evoked stapedius reflex thresholds (eSRT) in HiResolution(TM) cochlear implant (CI) users, and to explore the relationships between these objective measures and behavioural measures of comfort levels (M-levels).

Methods: A prospective study on newly implanted subjects was designed. The eCAP was measured intra-operatively and at first fitting through neural response imaging (NRI), using the SoundWave(TM) fitting software.

Vocal folds analysis using global energy tracking.

Introduction: Detection and quantification of oscillatory irregularities in laryngeal videostroboscopy can be particularly difficult for the human expert. Accordingly, there is a wide interest in automated methods for recovering the folds' temporal trajectory. Unfortunately, current methods typically provide only crude glottal measurements.

Identification and immunolocalization of the innate immune receptor CD14 in hypertrophic adenoids and tonsils.

The purpose of this study is to determine the expression of CD14 as a marker of the innate immunity in hypertrophic adenoids and tonsils. Twenty-four pediatric patients (age <12 years) with obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy, confirmed by sleep study were included in this study. Intensity and expression of positive CD14 infiltrating cells was assessed by immunohistochemistry in specific histologic areas.

The imperative of the Sistrunk operation: review of 160 thyroglossal tract remnant operations.

Objective: Analysis of the pre- and postoperative features, long-term follow-up, and complications.

Study Design And Methods: Case series with chart review of 160 thyroglossal tract remnant excisions over a 20-year period (1988-2007).

Results: The mean age of diagnosis was 10.

Prevalence and clinical significance of anticardiolipin, anti-beta2-glycoprotein-1, and anti-heat shock protein-70 autoantibodies in sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is frequently classified as 'idiopathic' since the causative factor responsible for its onset is not identified in most cases. In the present study, we determined whether SSNHL is clinically associated with serum anti-heat shock protein-70 (anti-HSP70) and antiphospholipids (anti-PLs) autoantibodies and whether these autoantibodies have an impact on the prognosis of SSNHL. Sera from 63 patients with SSNHL were screened prospectively for the presence of anti-HSP70 and anti-PLs autoantibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test.

Enterovirus, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus infection screening in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is frequently classified as 'idiopathic' since the causative factor is not identified in most cases. In the present study we determined whether SSNHL is associated with common viral infections, namely enterovirus, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Between April 2004 and March 2005, we conducted a prospective cohort study on 48 unselected patients with unilateral idiopathic SSNHL.

Ingestion of caustic substances: a 15-year experience.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the circumstance, demographic features, clinical findings, and complications of caustic ingestion in relation to the type and amount of caustic substance.

Study Design: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary medical center.

Methods: The authors reviewed medical records from 1988 to 2003 of patients with a history of caustic ingestion and clinical signs of injury to the aerodigestive tract.

Role of open incisional biopsy in parotid tumors.

Objective: Parotid gland enlargement due to diffuse pathologic processes represents a diagnostic challenge for the surgeon. In such cases, fine-needle aspiration is inconclusive and superficial parotidectomy is usually performed.

Material And Methods: The authors treated eight patients who underwent open incisional biopsy of the parotid gland with continuous monitoring of the facial nerve.

Imagination of body rotation can induce eye movements.

Objective: Several studies have shown that spatiotemporal aspects of motion are stored and can be retrieved with the use of vestibular and somatosensory cues. The purpose of this study was to examine whether intentional imagination of body rotation can induce oculomotor activity similar to the typical vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR).

Material And Methods: Normal subjects without known vestibular and/or oculometric abnormalities were instructed to imagine a sensation of accelerating body rotation in the horizontal plane (rightward or leftward) while sitting in darkness with closed eyes, using only vestibular and somatosensory cues and not imaginary visual cues.

Vestibular involvement in myringitis bullosa.

Objective: Cochlear involvement manifested by sensorineural or mixed-type hearing loss (HL) has been reported to occur in 30-67% of patients suffering from myringitis bullosa (MB). The goal of this study was to investigate the incidence and nature of vestibular involvement in MB.

Material And Methods: All adult patients presenting to Hadassah University Hospital with MB between 2000 and 2002 were evaluated for inner ear involvement.

Image guided navigation system-a new technology for complex endoscopic endonasal surgery.

Purpose: Endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) has become the standard practice in sinonasal and anterior skull base surgery. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe experience using a new technology-the image guided navigation system (IGNS)-in complex cases undergoing EES. The advantages and disadvantages of computer aided surgery are discussed.

Characteristics of the type B tympanogram can predict the magnitude of the air-bone gap in otitis media with effusion.

Tympanometry is well established as a means of assessing the presence of fluid in the middle ear. The type B tympanogram is usually considered a unique entity. However, its shape may vary from a rounded type B with a "pseudopeak" to a completely flat response.

Effect of noise on the vestibular system - Vestibular evoked potential studies in rats.

Studies have shown that in order for sound to affect the vestibular end organs in the inner ear, very high intensities are required. Furthermore, in patients with noise induced hearing loss, vestibular signs, if present, are subclinical. In order to study possible auditory-vestibular interactions in a more controlled fashion, using physiological sound intensities, the present study used short latency vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) to impulses of angular (15,000 degrees /sec(2), risetime 1.

Objective method for differentiating between drug-induced vestibulotoxicity and cochleotoxicity.

Hypothesis: An objective direct method is proposed to differentiate between drug-induced functional vestibulotoxicity and cochleotoxicity.

Background: Many substances are ototoxic. Although there are objective methods to directly evaluate functional cochlear toxicity (auditory nerve brainstem responses [ABR]), it is more difficult to assess direct functional ototoxicity to the various vestibular end organs.

Use of evoked potentials to objectively differentiate between selective vulnerability of cochlear and vestibular end organ function.

Auditory nerve brainstem evoked responses (ABR) have been used for several decades to investigate cochlear function. Recently techniques have been developed to elicit similar recordings from the vestibular end organs - short latency vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs). Both ABR and VsEP reflect appropriate end organ function and may therefore be used to investigate the vulnerability of these end organs to various experimental insults, such as noise exposure and ototoxic drugs.

Assessment of vestibular ototoxicity of ear drops by recording of vestibular evoked potentials to acceleration impulses.

Introduction: The cochlear ototoxicity of several ear drops is well documented in the literature, but very few studies exist on the vestibular ototoxicity of these topical drugs.

Goal Of Study: To develop an animal model for the assessment of the vestibular ototoxicity of ear drops.

Materials And Methods: Two animal groups, consisting of five fat sand rats (FSRs) each, underwent unilateral labyrinthectomy.

Spontaneous vertebral artery dissection mimicking acute vertigo. Case report.

A patient with acute vertigo, and normal findings on neurologic examination, was found to have vertebral artery dissection (VAD). This case shows that the clinical picture of VAD can mimic vertigo of labyrinthine (i.e, peripheral) origin.

The effect of head orientation on the vestibular evoked potentials to linear acceleration impulses in rats.

Objective: To investigate the influence of linear acceleration impulses delivered when the head is held in different static head orientations, on the first wave of the short latency vestibular evoked potential (VsEP). The first wave is the compound action potential of the primary vestibular neurons synchronously activated.

Background: It has been shown previously that the VsEP elicited in response to linear acceleration is initiated mainly in the otolith organs.

Development of short latency vestibular evoked potentials in the neonatal rat.

The development of short latency vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) was investigated in the neonatal rat. Using the appropriate stimulus (linear or angular acceleration impulses) and head orientation, responses elicited in various vestibular end-organs (utricle: x-VsEP; saccule: z-VsEP; lateral semi-circular canal: a-VsEP) were measured in rat pups at various ages between post-natal days (PND) 5 and 30, and compared to those recorded from adult animals. It was found that the VsEPs initially appeared on PND 6 (x-VsEPs and z-VsEPs) or 7 (a-VsEPs), and that by PND 8 the three responses could be recorded in all animals.