Unilateral versus bilateral stapes surgery: A comparative study on auditory outcome and quality of life.

Otosclerosis is a well-known disease which mainly affects middle-aged female patients, causing conductive or mixed hearing loss. Diagnosis is essentially made through a complete audiometric battery testing, while treatment substantially relies on stapes surgery. In this study, we analyzed audiometric and Quality-of-Life data from 33 patients in order to refine the surgical indications (unilateral versus bilateral stapes surgery) and assess the best technique (stapedotomy versus partial stapedectomy) and timing of treatment.

Intralabyrinthine schwannomas: a two-case series and literature review with a focus on hearing rehabilitation.

Purpose: Intralabyrinthine schwannomas (ILSs) are an uncommon finding. Diagnosis is challenging and no gold standard treatment exists yet. In this article, we present a two-cases series and review the latest available literature to assess the best diagnostic and therapeutic scheme.

Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines for Short- and Long-Term Immunity: A General Overview for the Pandemic Contrast.

Background: The recent COVID-19 pandemic produced a significant increase in cases and an emergency state was induced worldwide. The current knowledge about the COVID-19 disease concerning diagnoses, patient tracking, the treatment protocol, and vaccines provides a consistent contribution for the primary prevention of the viral infection and decreasing the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 disease. The aim of the present investigation was to produce a general overview about the current findings for the COVID-19 disease, SARS-CoV-2 interaction mechanisms with the host, therapies and vaccines' immunization findings.

Cavernous Sinus Involvement and Near Miss Mediastinitis following Mandibular Tooth Infection Treated during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment.

Odontogenic infections represent a frequent condition that in some cases, if not treated promptly, can spread quickly to the rest of the body and turn into life-threatening infections. In this work, the case is reported of a 59-year-old woman, diabetic and overweight, who presented to the Odontostomatology and Otolaryngology Section of the Policlinic of Bari with mandibular tooth infection that had developed into a deep neck space infection leading to the involvement of cavernous sinuses and near mediastinum. The diagnosis, the surgical drainage of the phlegmon and removal of infection foci, appropriate control of the airways, and a correct antibiotic therapy made it possible to avoid a potentially fatal condition.

COVID-19 Infection in Children and Infants: Current Status on Therapies and Vaccines.

Since the beginning in December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak appeared to affect mostly the adult population, sparing the vast majority of children who only showed mild symptoms. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the status on the mechanisms that give children and infants this variation in epidemiology compared to the adult population and its impact on therapies and vaccines that are aimed towards them. A literature review, including in vitro studies, reviews, published guidelines and clinical trials was performed.