Postoperative Hearing Outcomes and Usefulness of Endoscopy-Assisted Tympanoplasty in Pars Tensa Cholesteatoma.

 In recent years, transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) has gained widespread recognition as an excellent surgical field for blind spots such as the sinus tympani (ST) when compared to microscopic ear surgery (MES).  To investigate the postoperative hearing results for pars tensa cholesteatoma and the indications for utilizing endoscopy.  The medical records of 16 patients (10 men and 6 women) with pars tensa cholesteatoma, who received initial surgical treatment between 2018 and 2022, were reviewed.

Gap detection ability declines with central auditory neurodegeneration following age-related cochlear synaptopathy.

Age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) is commonly associated with decreased auditory temporal resolution caused by auditory neurodegeneration. Age-related deterioration in gap detection ability, resulting in poor temporal auditory processing, is often attributed to pathophysiological changes in both the peripheral and central auditory systems. This study aimed to investigate whether the gap detection ability declines in the early stages of ageing and to determine its usefulness in detecting peripheral and central auditory degeneration.

Research Application of Laser-induced Shock Wave for Studying Blast-induced Cochlear Injury.

The ear is the organ most susceptible to explosion overpressure, and cochlear injuries frequently occur after blast exposure. Blast exposure can lead to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which is an irreversible hearing loss that negatively affects the quality of life. Detailed blast-induced cochlear pathologies, such as the loss of hair cells, spiral ganglion neurons, cochlear synapses, and disruption of stereocilia, have been previously documented.

Experiences of Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach for the Mastoid Lesions: A Novel Minimally Invasive Ear Surgery.

Objectives: We developed a novel keyhole surgery, named "percutaneous endoscopic ear surgery" (PEES), with the aim of further reducing the invasiveness of otologic surgery. We reported the cases we encountered and retrospectively analyzed the invasiveness of PEES.

Methods: We analyzed the ears of eight patients who underwent PEES for mastoid lesions that could not be manipulated with transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) at our hospital between July 2021 and November 2022.

Blast-Induced Central Auditory Neurodegeneration Affects Tinnitus Development Regardless of Peripheral Cochlear Damage.

Blast exposure causes serious complications, the most common of which are ear-related symptoms such as hearing loss and tinnitus. The blast shock waves can cause neurodegeneration of the auditory pathway in the brainstem, as well as the cochlea, which is the primary receptor for hearing, leading to blast-induced tinnitus. However, it is still unclear which lesion is more dominant in triggering tinnitus, the peripheral cochlea or the brainstem lesion owing to the complex pathophysiology and the difficulty in objectively measuring tinnitus.