Task force of the Brazilian Society of Otology - evaluation and management of peripheral facial palsy.

Objective: To review key evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral facial palsy in children and adults.

Methods: Task force members were educated on knowledge synthesis methods, including electronic database search, review and selection of relevant citations, and critical appraisal of selected studies. Articles written in English or Portuguese on peripheral facial palsy were eligible for inclusion.

Brazilian Society of Otology task force - Vestibular Schwannoma ‒ evaluation and treatment.

Objective: To review the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of vestibular schwannoma.

Methods: Task force members were educated on knowledge synthesis methods, including electronic database search, review and selection of relevant citations, and critical appraisal of selected studies. Articles written in English or Portuguese on vestibular schwannoma were eligible for inclusion.

Brazilian Society of Otology task force - Otosclerosis: evaluation and treatment.

Objectives: To review and provide evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of otosclerosis.

Methods: Task force members were educated on knowledge synthesis methods, including electronic database search, review and selection of relevant citations, and critical appraisal of selected studies. Articles written in English or Portuguese on otosclerosis were eligible for inclusion.

Task force Guideline of Brazilian Society of Otology ‒ hearing loss in children - Part I ‒ Evaluation.

Objectives: To provide an overview of the main evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis of hearing loss in children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years.

Methods: Task force members were educated on knowledge synthesis methods, including electronic database search, review and selection of relevant citations, and critical appraisal of selected studies. Articles written in English or Portuguese on childhood hearing loss were eligible for inclusion.

Task force Guideline of Brazilian Society of Otology - hearing loss in children - Part II - Treatment.

Objectives: To provide an overview of the main evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis of hearing loss in children and adolescents aged 0-18 years.

Methods: Task force members were educated on knowledge synthesis methods, including electronic database search, review and selection of relevant citations, and critical appraisal of selected studies. Articles written in English or Portuguese on childhood hearing loss were eligible for inclusion.

Efficacy of Disinfection of Rigid Endoscope by Ethyl Alcohol 70.

 Currently, there is no safe, affordable, and ecologically-sustainable guideline that helps prevent contamination through endoscopy. We evaluated the safety of intermediate-level disinfection with 70% ethyl alcohol (w/v) based on biological-load recovery from rigid endoscopes after nasal endoscopy.  To demonstrate the efficacy of 70% ethanol in disinfecting rigid endoscopes (REs) to reduce microbial growth in microbiological cultures.

Progressive Asymmetry in Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: A Large Population-Based Cohort Study With a 15-Year Follow-Up.

Background: To evaluate interaural differences between the right and left ears at frequencies from 0.25 to 8 kHz in 3 groups of workers from metallurgy companies.

Methods: This study is a cross-sectional cohort study.

Is there a change in P300 evoked potential after 6 months in cochlear implant users?

Objective: There are few studies on long-latency auditory evoked potential (P300) in people with hearing loss who use a cochlear implant. Central auditory system evaluation with behavioral and electrophysiological tests is believed to help understand the neuroplasticity mechanisms involved in auditory functioning after cochlear implant surgery. This study investigated the electrophysiological processing of cortical level acoustic signals in a group of 21 adult individuals with postlingual bilateral severe-to-profound hearing loss who were submitted to cochlear implant surgery.

Five-Year Longitudinal Cohort Study Determines the Critical Intervals for Periodic Audiometric Testing Based on 5070 Tests of Metallurgical Workers Exposed and Nonexposed to Noise.

Objectives: To compare the progression of 3-, 4-, and 6-kHz thresholds (pure-tone average) over 5 years and determine the most critical period for occupational risk among workers exposed and nonexposed to noise.

Design: Metallurgical workers were divided into 2 groups: noise-exposed and non-noise-exposed groups. The 6 initial audiometric tests of each worker were analyzed as baseline test and annual tests 1 to 5.

Thorax necrotizing fasciitis following Bezold's abscess.

Bezold's abscess is a rare complication of acute otitis media, but it should be recognized and aggressively treated. Otolaryngologists must be aware of this diagnosis, and multidisciplinary care should be provided as soon as possible.

Symptom assessment after nasal irrigation with xylitol in the postoperative period of endonasal endoscopic surgery.

Introduction: Chronic rhinosinusitis is an inflammatory condition of the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses that requires multifactorial treatment. Xylitol can be employed with nasal irrigation and can provide better control of the disease.

Objective: To evaluate the association between the effects of nasal lavage with saline solution compared to nasal lavage with a xylitol solution.

Histopathological changes to the peripheral vestibular system following meningitic labyrinthitis.

Objective: While cochlear ossification is a common sequalae of meningitic labyrinthitis, less is known about the effects of meningitis on peripheral vestibular end organs. Herein, we investigate histopathologic changes in the peripheral vestibular system and cochlea in patients with a history of meningitic labyrinthitis.

Methods: Temporal bone (TB) specimens from patients with a history of meningitis were evaluated and compared to age-matched controls.

Effect of Noise Exposure on 1,382 Metallurgical Workers in Periodic Audiometric Evaluation: A Cohort Study.

Introduction: Noise-induced hearing loss is the most preventable cause of auditory impairment. Periodic audiometric evaluations are essential to monitor the hearing health of noise-exposed workers.

Objective: To compare the evolution of audiometric thresholds in the initial three evaluations at frequencies of 3, 4, and 6 kHz in groups of workers exposed or not to noise.

The Effect of Fibroblast Growth Factors in Grafted Fascia into the Vocal Fold of Rabbits.

 The human larynx is a very important organ for communication. Many conditions lead to scarring of the vocal folds, decreasing voice quality.  We aimed to determine whether fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) may influence tissue integration of grafted fascia into the vocal folds of an animal model.

Otopathology in the United States: History, Current Situation, and Future Perspectives.

: Human temporal bone studies have documented the pathophysiologic basis of many pathologic conditions and diseases affecting the ear, contributing to the development of specific clinical knowledge and pathology-oriented treatments. Researchers dedicated to the study of anatomy and histology of the temporal bone emanated from Europe to the United States during the first part of the 20th Century. The first otopathology laboratory was founded in the United States in 1924, at Johns Hopkins University; over time, the otopathology laboratories-considered by some authors as "gold mines" for studying ear diseases-became numerous and very prolific.

Evidence against the mucosal traction theory in cholesteatoma.

Objectives: To investigate the distribution of ciliated epithelium in the human middle ear and its potential role in the formation of cholesteatoma.

Study Design: Comparative human temporal bone study.

Methods: We selected temporal bones from 14 donors with a diagnosis of cholesteatoma, 15 with chronic otitis media without retraction pockets, 14 with chronic otitis media with retraction pockets, 14 with cystic fibrosis (CF), and 16 controls.

Evaluation of the Grafted Fascia in the Vocal Fold of Dogs: A Histologic Study.

Introduction: There is no consensus on the ideal graft for medialization surgery of the vocal folds in the literature. One of the most favorable proposals is the use of autologous fascia, which seems limited by the lack of information regarding the integration of grafted tissue. Our study aims to evaluate the degree of fully engrafted fascia integration in the vocal fold lamina propria of dogs.

Changes in the inner ear structures in cystic fibrosis patients.

Objective: Although prolonged use of antibiotics is very common in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, no studies have assessed the changes in both cochlear and peripheral vestibular systems in this population.

Methods: We used human temporal bones to analyze the density of vestibular dark, transitional, and hair cells in specimens from CF patients who were exposed to several types of antibiotics, as compared with specimens from an age-matched control group with no history of ear disease or antibiotic use. Additionally, we analyzed the changes in the elements of the cochlea (hair cells, spiral ganglion neurons, and the area of the stria vascularis).

A 3-D analysis of the protympanum in human temporal bones with chronic ear disease.

Eustachian tube dysfunction is believed to be an important factor to cholesteatoma development and recurrence of disease after surgical treatment. Although many studies have described prognostic factors, evaluation methods, or surgical techniques for Eustachian tube dysfunction, they relied on the soft tissues of its structure; little is known about its bony structure-the protympanum-which connects the Eustachian tube to the tympanic cavity, and can also be affected by several inflammatory conditions, both from the middle ear or from the nasopharynx. We studied temporal bones from patients with cholesteatoma, chronic otitis media (with and without retraction pockets), purulent otitis media, and non-diseased ears, looking for differences between the volume of the protympanum, the diameter of the Eustachian tube isthmus, and the distance between the anterior tympanic annulus and the promontory.