The Prevalence of Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency in Meniere Disease: 24-Month Follow-up after Angioplasty.

Purpose: To evaluate relationship between Meniere disease (MD) and chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) using ultrasound, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and venography and to evaluate the effectiveness of angioplasty of the internal jugular vein (IJV) and azygos vein (AV) in reducing symptoms of MD.

Materials And Methods: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MD unresponsive to standard treatment underwent duplex ultrasound and MR imaging to diagnose CCSVI. Healthy volunteers were also studied to evaluate CCSVI in asymptomatic subjects.

Oral versus short-term intratympanic prednisolone therapy for idiopathic sudden hearing loss.

Objectives: To assess the therapeutic effectiveness of an intratympanic (IT) steroid protocol compared to a systemic steroid protocol.

Methods: A total of 265 consecutive patients presenting unilateral idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss were divided into 2 groups. One group comprised 131 patients enrolled between May 2009 and May 2010, and the other consisted of 134 patients enrolled between June 2010 and June 2011; a total of 48 patients were excluded among the 2 groups.

Inferences and metaphoric comprehension in unilaterally implanted children with adequate formal oral language performance.

Objectives: To assess skills in inferences during conversations and in metaphors comprehension of unilaterally cochlear implanted children with adequate abilities at the formal language tests, comparing them with well-matched hearing peers; to verify the influence of age of implantation on overall skills.

Methods: The study was designed as a matched case-control study. 31 deaf children, unilateral cochlear implant users, with normal linguistic competence at formal language tests were compared with 31 normal hearing matched peers.

A 9-year-old boy with atypical retroauricular pain: a case report.

Idiopathic causes of retroauricular pain are rarely seen in clinical practice. We present a 9-year-old child who suffered from atypical retroauricular pain resistant to conventional treatment. After excluding any other cause of retroauricular pain, a nerve block was performed with a 0.

Pneumolabyrinth after intratympanic steroid injection in patient with prosthesis of the stapes: a case report.

The aim of this study is to present a patient who developed a pneumolabyrinth following intratympanic steroid injection performed one year after stapes surgery. The patient started a medical treatment but since no improvement of his symptoms occurred, 10 days after the intratympanic injection a surgical treatment was proposed. An exploratory tympanotomy showed a displacement of the stapes prosthesis from the platinotomy, a dislocation of the incus long process, a fracture of the footplate and a depression into the vestibule.

Intratympanic steroid therapy in moderate sudden hearing loss: a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Objectives/hypothesis: To investigate the efficacy of an intratympanic steroid as a first-line therapy in patients affected by moderate idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).

Study Design: Prospective, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Methods: Fifty patients presenting with moderate idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss involving all frequencies from 250 Hz to 8,000 Hz (a flat audiogram) were enrolled.

Long term results in late implanted adolescent and adult CI recipients.

The aim of the present study is to assess long-term outcomes of CI in prelingual deafened adolescents and adults, describing, where present, differences in performance, self perceived benefit and highlighting specific characteristics. Twenty-three patients were enrolled: 10 adolescents, 13 young adults. Each patient underwent speech perception/language development, psychological evaluation and structured interviews on self perception concerning CI.

Long-term follow-up of implanted children with cytomegalovirus-related deafness.

Objective: To evaluate, with a long-term follow-up, the speech perception and language development in children with cytomegalovirus (CMV)-related deafness after cochlear implantation.

Study Design: A retrospective study on CMV-related profound deafness and cochlear implantation was performed from 1995 to 2010. Six children with an average follow-up of 10 years were included in this research.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy with short duration intratympanic steroid therapy for sudden hearing loss.

Conclusion: The excellent tolerability of intratympanic (IT) steroid offers the possibility to use a high dose, which would appear to be more effective than intravenous (IV) steroid treatment, when both are associated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess for the first time the efficacy of the association of IT steroid and HBO therapy in patients presenting idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), comparing this protocol with another consisting of IV steroid administration and HBO therapy.

Methods: A total of 48 patients presenting ISSNHL were recruited.

Genetic prothrombotic factors in children with otogenic lateral sinus thrombosis: five case reports.

Lateral sinus thrombosis (LST) is an uncommon, but life-threatening complication of both acute and chronic otitis media. There is some evidence that acquired or hereditary prothrombotic disorders are risk factors for LST. The aim of this work was to evaluate the role of thrombotic screening, anticoagulant therapy or prophylaxis in patients with either acute or chronic otitis media and LST.

Deterioration of hearing in a cochlear implantee with relapsing polychondritis.

We report on a rare case of cochlear implantation in a patient affected by relapsing polychondritis (RP), which over time induced cochlear fibrosis/ossification and deterioration of previously excellent hearing performance. The clinical course was determined by CT scan, electrophysiology, and speech perception data. We conclude that RP is a severe autoimmune connective disorder that can cause profound sensorineural hearing loss.

Cyclo-oxygenase enzyme in the perilymph of human inner ear.

Conclusions: Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme would not appear to be constitutively expressed in human perilymph while it is always induced in the perilymph of patients affected by sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The COX-2 isoform may be involved in hearing loss and, therefore, pathological states of the inner ear should possibly be further analyzed to clarify the clinical relevance of prostaglandin and selective COX-2 antagonist therapy.

Objectives: Perilymph samples from a group of patients with bilateral SNHL and another with conductive hearing loss were collected to evaluate the presence of the COX-2 enzyme.

The importance of intra-operative imaging during cochlear implant surgery.

Two unusual cases of cochlear implant (CI) surgery complication are reported: introduction of the electrode array into the superior semicircular canal with normal morphology and a growing amplitude of neural potential (neural response imaging, NRI) during intra-operative monitoring control. In the first case, a two-year-old patient affected by congenital sensorineural profound deafness was bilaterally implanted with two Clarion 90 k devices and intra-operative electrophysiological and radiological controls were performed. After introduction of the array in the right side NRI was performed and a neural potential was found only on two apical electrodes.

Positional vertigo and cochlear implantation.

Objective: To identify patients developing positional vertigo after cochlear implantation.

Study Design: Prospective study on a cohort of patients undergoing cochlear implantation.

Setting: Academic tertiary referral center.

Post-operative Herpes simplex virus encephalitis after surgical resection of acoustic neuroma: a case report.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis is a life-threatening consequence of HSV infection of the central nervous system. Although HSV encephalitis is rare, mortality rates reach 70 per cent in the absence of therapy and only a minority of individuals return to normal function. Antiviral therapy is most effective when started early, necessitating prompt diagnosis.