Effect of Tissue Heterogeneity on the Transmembrane Potential of Type-1 Spiral Ganglion Neurons: A Simulation Study.

Electric stimulation of the auditory nerve by cochlear implants has been a successful clinical intervention to treat the sensory neural deafness. In this pathological condition of the cochlea, type-1 spiral ganglion neurons in Rosenthal's canal play a vital role in the action potential initiation. Various morphological studies of the human temporal bones suggest that the spiral ganglion neurons are surrounded by heterogeneous structures formed by a variety of cells and tissues.

On the origin of ear clicks during deglutition or pressure equalization.

To explore the origin of clicking sounds in the ear during deglutition or other pharyngeal movements, which are interpreted differently in the literature. Experimental study at a tertiary referral centre. Acoustic phenomena during a forced opening test of the Eustachian tube (ET) were studied in a temporal bone model.

"Physiological" Ear Clicking: Its Origin and Potential Usability as a Test Tool for the Eustachian Tube Function.

Objective: To explore the origin of "physiological" ear clicks during deglutition or other pharyngeal movements, which, in contrast to disturbing frequent clicks under pathologic conditions, mostly remain unnoticed by the patient.

Study Design: Clinical experimental study at a tertiary referral center.

Methods: Ear clicks were recorded by a microphone sealing the external ear canal parallel to endoscopic or manometric evaluations of the Eustachian tube function.

Intubating conditions and side effects of propofol, remifentanil and sevoflurane compared with propofol, remifentanil and rocuronium: a randomised, prospective, clinical trial.

Background: Tracheal intubation without muscle relaxants is usually performed with remifentanil and propofol or sevoflurane. Remifentanil 1.0 to 4.

Comparative Study between the Surgeon's Intraoperative Evaluation and Histopathology for Diagnosis of Laryngeal Lesions.

Objective. To compare the surgeon's evaluation and histopathology for diagnosis of laryngeal lesions. Material.

Laryngeal injuries following endotracheal intubation in ENT surgery: predictive value of anatomical scores.

Endotracheal intubation has been associated with a threefold higher incidence of laryngopharyngeal complaints following anesthesia in comparison to laryngeal mask airway. Such complaints, including hoarseness and sore throat, have been reported in up to 90% of patients within 24 h of extubation. The purpose of this study was to determine which preoperatively documented clinical and anatomic parameters are predictive of laryngo-pharyngeal trauma resulting from elective endotracheal intubation.

Would an endosteal CI-electrode make sense? Comparison of the auditory nerve excitability from different stimulation sites using ESRT measurements and mathematical models.

Unlabelled: Regarding potential endosteal cochlear implant electrodes, the primary goal of this paper is to compare different intra- and extra-cochlear stimulation sites in terms of current strengths needed for stimulating the auditory nerve. Our study was performed during routine cochlear implantation using needle electrodes for electric stimulation and by visually recording electrically elicited stapedius reflexes (ESRT) as a measure for the stimulus transfer. Of course this rather simple setup only allows rough estimations, which, however, may provide further arguments whether or not to proceed with the concept of an endosteal electrode.

Fibroblast colonization of modified silicone films.

Hypothesis: Development of silicone films with hydrophilic surface properties and with associated fibroblast colonization for tympanic membrane reconstruction.

Background: Silicone films are used in ear surgery for splinting fresh eardrum perforations. The cure rate is high if the perforation is small and fresh.

Distribution of circulating natural killer cells and T lymphocytes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: Natural killer (NK) cells are capable of eliminating malignantly transformed cells without prior sensitization. In contrast to NK-cells, T lymphocytes possess antitumourous activity that is restricted to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) recognition. The aim of this study was to determine the causes of the different distributions of these cell types in the peripheral blood of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC).

Taste function after stapes surgery.

Objective: A manipulation of chorda tympani nerve (CTN) is frequently necessary during the surgical therapy of stapedial ankylosis. The aim of this study was to re-assess the taste function before and after stapes surgery in patients with unilateral stapes ankylosis.

Methods: Eighteen patients (14 female and 4 male) with unilateral stapedial ankylosis were included.

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure on bacterial growth on human ossicles explanted from cholesteatoma patients.

Background: High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment can eliminate cholesteatoma cells from explanted human ossicles prior to re-insertion. We analyzed the effects of HHP treatment on the microbial flora on ossicles and on the planktonic and biofilm states of selected isolates.

Methodology: Twenty-six ossicles were explanted from cholesteatoma patients.

Experiments on the mechanism of underwater hearing.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that underwater sound perception is realized by the middle ear rather than by bone conduction, at least in shallow water conditions.

Objective: To prove whether underwater sound perception is effected by bone conduction or by conduction via the middle ear.

Methods: Five divers, breathing through snorkels, were tested in a swimming pool, to determine whether a sound was louder when the acoustic source placed was in front of the head in comparison with a lateral application facing the ear region.

Effect of the stapedotomy technique on early post-operative hearing results--Preliminary results.

Objective: To compare three stapedotomy modalities used to fenestrate the stapes footplate in patients with primary otosclerosis.

Materials: The non-randomized and unblinded one-center study included 48 patients with primary otosclerosis who underwent stapes surgery between May 2008 and April 2009. The patients were divided into three groups (single shot and two-shot CO(2) laser stapedotomy, perforator) depending on the modality used for stapedotomy.

Changes in taste bud volume during taste disturbance.

On-line mapping and serial volume measurements of taste buds with confocal laser scanning microscopy provide information on the peripheral gustatory organ over time. We report the volumetric measurements of four selected fungiform papillae over 8 weeks in a 62-year-old man with taste disturbance, which was more apparent on the right than on the left side. In the two papillae on the right side, no taste buds were detected within the fungiform papillae in the sixth and eighth week.

Optical coherence tomography allows for the reliable identification of laryngeal epithelial dysplasia and for precise biopsy: a clinicopathological study of 61 patients undergoing microlaryngoscopy.

Objectives/hypothesis: A newly developed microscope-based spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) device and an endoscope-based time-domain OCT (TD-OCT) were used to assess the inter-rater reliability, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of benign and dysplastic laryngeal epithelial lesions.

Study Design: Prospective study.

Methods: OCT during microlaryngoscopy was done on 35 patients with an endoscope-based TD-OCT, and on 26 patients by an SD-OCT system integrated into an operating microscope.

[A novel cryo-grinding technique for evaluating new cochlear implant electrodes after ex vivo insertions in temporal bone specimens].

Background: Prior to clinical application, newly developed prototypes of cochlear implant electrode arrays must prove their suitability with the smallest possible tissue damage in ex vivo temporal bones. So far, after insertion of the electrodes the temporal bone specimens have to be processed in a rather intricate technique, including embedding, sectioning or grinding prior to histological evaluation. The question remains whether for special indications this time-consuming method, which even causes artifacts, can be replaced by a new technique based on cryo-grinding.

Normative data for a solution-based taste test.

The aim of our study was to study gustatory function in a large portion of the general population using liquid tastants, extending previous research. Further, we investigated the test-retest reliability of the test used. Data from 944 healthy subjects were used (498 women and 446 men, mean age 45 years; age range 5-90 years).

Limited mouth opening after primary therapy of head and neck cancer.

Objectives: Patients after surgery and radiation/chemoradiation for treatment of head and neck cancer often suffer from oral complications. These problems may be caused by surgery and radiation. Patients complain, for example, of swallowing problems and limited mouth opening (trismus).

Intracellular persisting Staphylococcus aureus is the major pathogen in recurrent tonsillitis.

Background: The two major indications for tonsillectomy are recurrent tonsillitis (RT) and peritonsillar abscess (PTA). Unlike PTAs, which are primarily treated surgically, RT is often cured by tonsillectomy only after a series of failed drug therapy attempts. Although the bacteriological background of RT has been studied, the reason for the lack of success of conservative therapeutic approaches is not well understood.

Rigid confocal endoscopy for in vivo imaging of experimental oral squamous intra-epithelial lesions.

Background: A rigid confocal endoscope has been developed to assess the oral squamous epithelium of mice and to determine sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of this new technology.

Methods: This endoscope is connected to the commercially available Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT). HRT is a device with a 670-nm diode laser designed to acquire topographical measurements of the optic nerve head.

Third window vibroplasty: an alternative in surgical treatment of tympanosclerotic obliteration of the oval and round window niche.

Objective: To describe a new technique in surgical treatment of obliterative tympanosclerosis by applying a floating mass transducer (FMT) to a third window.

Patient: A 64-year-old woman with a severe combined hearing loss due to tympanosclerosis received a third window vibroplasty.

Intervention: A mastoidectomy and a posterior tympanotomy via the large facial recess were performed.

Change of the human taste bud volume over time.

Objective: The specific aim of this study is to measure the taste volume in healthy human subjects over a 2.5-month period and to demonstrate morphological changes of the peripheral taste organs.

Material And Methods: Eighteen human taste buds in four fungiform papillae (fPap) were examined over a 10-week period.

Pressure changes in the human middle ear without opening the eustachian tube.

Conclusion: By means of a direct, though non-invasive experiment on healthy humans we could demonstrate that middle ear (ME) pressure decreases when the eustachian tube (ET) does not open. Thus with a very simple method the basic theory of continuous gas loss from the ME into the circulation and the replenishment of the loss through the ET could be validated.

Objectives: To record changes in ME pressure over a period of time in normal human ears, while the ET is kept closed.