Clinical Review of Cochlear Implantation Performed at Sapporo Medical University Hospital.

More than 20 years have passed since cochlear implantation (CI) was first introduced in Japan. We began CI at the Sapporo Medical University Hospital in 1988; since then, up to the first half of 2015, we have performed CI on 280 ears. In patients aged less than and those aged over 18 years, 121 and 159 ears, respectively, have undergone surgery.

Nasal Mucosal Expression of the Receptors for Inflammatory Chemical Mediators.

The nasal allergic response is a complex process involving interactions between many chemical mediators such as histamine, bradykinin, cysteinyl leukotrienes, platelet-activating factor, prostaglandin D2 and thromboxane A2. The actions of these chemical mediators are facilitated by specific cell surface receptors that are coupled to G-proteins. Current therapeutic strategies against nasal allergic responses are mainly based on drugs that target these chemical mediators.

Cochlear Implantation in Children with Cochlear Malformation.

Cochlear implantation (CI) has proven to be an effective treatment for severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Inner ear malformation is a rare anomaly and occurs in approximately 20% of cases with congenital SNHL. In cases with cochlear malformation, CI can be successfully performed in nearly all patients, the exceptions being those with complete labyrinthine and cochlear aplasia.

Outcomes of visually impaired patients who received cochlear implantations.

Objective: Patients with multiple sensory deficits, including hearing loss and visual impairment, present a unique problem. We evaluated the clinical outcomes of cochlear implantation in patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss and visual impairment.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed eight patients with severe sensorineural hearing loss and visual impairment who underwent cochlear implantation at our institution between 1993 and 2014.

[A relationship between birch pollen counts and meteorological factors in Sapporo].

Occurrence of airborne pollen in Sapporo has been studied for 19 years during the period between 1995 and 2013. There are wide year-to-year variations in the quantities of birch pollens. A simple linear regression with the least squares method was used for studying correlations between the annual quantities of birch pollens and the meteorological factors.

Cochlear implantation in a patient with Paget's disease.

Paget's disease of the temporal bone can cause hearing loss that eventually develops into profound deafness. However, the treatment options for hearing loss associated with Paget's disease are limited. Thus far, only 3 cases of cochlear implantation in patients with Paget's disease have been reported.