[Neuroendocrine tumors in head and neck].

Introduction: NETs are benign or malign tumors, which originate from cells of the endocrine (hormonal) and nervous systems. 0,5-2 % of the neoplasms are neuroendocrine tumors, which are mostly located in the gastrointestinal or bronchopulmonal tract. Die incidence is about 9000/100000.

Outcomes of frontolateral vertical partial laryngectomy in T1b glottic carcinomas.

Background: The treatment of T1b glottic carcinomas with invasion of the anterior commissure (AC) is still a challenge in larynx oncology. The diversity in treatment protocols is due to the difficulty in achieving safety margins of resection, especially in the AC.

Objective: The treatment success rate of frontolateral vertical partial laryngectomy (FVPL) for the treatment of stage T1b squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx infiltrating the AC.

Vestibular Disorders.

Background: Recent research findings have improved the understanding of the diagnosis, pathophysiology, genetics, etiology, and treatment of peripheral, central, and functional vestibular vertigo syndromes.

Method: A literature search, with special attention to the current classification, treatment trials, Cochrane analyses, and other meta-analyses.

Results: There are internationally accepted diagnostic criteria for benign positional paroxysmal vertigo, Menière's disease, bilateral vestibulopathy, vestibular paroxysmia, and functional dizziness.

[Enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome-dehiscence syndromes-honeycomb mastoid : Pathophysiology and evidence for clinical differentiation].

Background: Differential diagnosis of dizziness with hearing loss requires standardized procedures for detection and classification of rare congenital and acquired malformations of the petrous part of the temporal bone.

Objective: The aim of this study was to present the physiology and pathophysiology of endolymphatic and perilymphatic pressure regulation, diagnostic guidelines, and aspects of prognosis and treatment.

Materials And Methods: Relevant publications and guidelines were evaluated and own cases are reported.

[Dizziness, vertigo and unsteadiness with emphasis on problems in elderly patients].

Gait disturbance and risk for falls of the elderly are a major problem for neurotologic diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic differentiation especially in the case of acute vestibular syndrome and in cases of chronic or recurrent paroxysmal vestibular deficits is mandatory for treatment indications. Criteria for medical, surgical conservative and surgical destructive therapy as well as for vestibular rehabilitation are outlined.

Combination of vascularization and cilia formation for three-dimensional airway tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering is a promising approach to treat massive airway dysfunctions such as tracheomalacia or tumors. Currently, there is no adequate solution for patients requiring the resection of more than half of the length of their trachea. In this study, the best conditions for combination of three different cell types from the respiratory airway system were investigated to develop a functional ciliated and pre-vascularized mucosal substitute in vitro.

The Neurophysiology and Treatment of Motion Sickness.

Background: Seasickness and travel sickness are classic types of motion illness. Modern simulation systems and virtual reality representations can also induce comparable symptoms. Such manifestations can be alleviated or prevented by various measures.

Evaluation of gender-specific aspects in quality-of-life in patients with larynx carcinoma.

Conclusions: The results suggest that gender-specific differences in health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) exist in patients with larynx carcinoma. In previous studies these differences might have been concealed by predominantly male subject groups. Future studies should consider a gender-specific analysis that suits the patient's idiosyncrasies associated with laryngeal cancer.

The relationship between jugular bulb position and jugular bulb related inner ear dehiscence: a retrospective analysis.

Objective: High jugular bulb (HJB) can erode inner ear structures creating a jugular bulb related inner ear dehiscence (JBID). The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the position of jugular bulb (JB) and JBID using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT).

Material And Methods: In this retrospective study HRCT images of 552 ears of 276 patients with hearing loss, otogenic vertigo, tinnitus or idiopathic peripheral facial nerve paralysis were analyzed.

Promontory electrical stimulation to elicit vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs).

Conclusion: Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) provoked electrically at the promontory provide a feasible method to record vestibular responses in awake patients.

Objectives: Electrically evoked VEMP testing has been performed by galvanic stimulation at the mastoid so far. The present study examined an electrical stimulation mode close to the otolith organs at the promontory.

Radiological findings of the cochlear aqueduct in patients with Meniere's disease using high-resolution CT and high-resolution MRI.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the cochlear aqueduct (CA) in Meniere's disease (MD) and to disclose radiological differences of CA between MD and non-MD patients by means of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI). Radiological data of 86 ears of MD patients which were separated into 52 ears of diseased side group (MD-D group) and 34 ears of contralateral non-affected side group of unilateral MD (MD-ND group), 27 ears of patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL group) and 56 ears of patients with somatoform dizziness and normal hearing (control group) were analyzed retrospectively. The bony type of CA, the bony length of CA, and the bony width of CA medial orifice was measured in HRCT.

Jugular bulb abnormalities in patients with Meniere's disease using high-resolution computed tomography.

Temporal bone abnormalities such as hypoplasia of the vestibular aqueduct or hypopneumatization of the mastoid have been described in Meniere's disease (MD). Jugular bulb abnormalities (JBA) are one of the most common temporal bone abnormalities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of JBA in MD.

Vestibular rehabilitation using the Nintendo® Wii Balance Board -- a user-friendly alternative for central nervous compensation.

Conclusion: The Nintendo® Wii Balance Board is a cost-effective and user-friendly alternative to other popular frequently used systems that aid vestibular compensation, particularly in elderly patients. In addition, further treatment in the home environment is possible.

Objective: This cohort study was designed to investigate the impact of the Nintendo® Wii Balance Board as a visual compensation device after acute vestibular neuritis.

Eustachian tube function in patients with inner ear disorders.

The influence of Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction on the inner ear fluid pressure and thus on the inner ear function in Meniere's disease has been discussed controversially. So far, most of the studies examining ET function in inner ear disorders indirectly analyzed ET function by tympanometric methods. The present study directly studied ET function in inner ear disorders by sonotubometry.

Long-term middle ear pressure measurements in inner ear disorders.

Conclusion: Repetitive portable tympanometry is a feasible method to examine long-term middle ear pressure profile. This method might be suitable for detecting patients with Meniere's disease whose middle ear pressure shows intermittently pathological values.

Objectives: Contradictory study results regarding middle ear pressure in patients with Meniere's disease might be due to solitary tympanometric measurements.

Role of neck ultrasound during follow-up care of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Conclusion: No impact of neck ultrasound on the detection rate of neck recurrences of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) was seen. The outcome of salvage therapy was not influenced by close neck ultrasound monitoring during follow-up. Tendencies of earlier detection of neck recurrences were noticed.

Hydrostatic fluid pressure in the vestibular organ of the guinea pig.

Since inner ear hair cells are mechano-electric transducers the control of hydrostatic pressure in the inner ear is crucial. Most studies analyzing dynamics and regulation of inner ear hydrostatic pressure performed pressure measurements in the cochlea. The present study is the first one reporting about absolute hydrostatic pressure values in the labyrinth.

Emotional and analytic music perception in cochlear implant users after optimizing the speech processor.

Conclusion: Cochlear implant (CI) users are able to detect harmonic differences and the emotionally exciting effect of music (arousal) even when using a speech adapted program. Raising the power of lower frequencies of speech processors in CIs for a music program further improved this ability and enhanced subjectively perceived pleasure during listening to music.

Objective: This pilot study compares aspects of analytical and emotional music perception before and after optimizing the speech processor compared to results of normal-hearing subjects.

Prevalence and psychopathological characteristics of depression in consecutive otorhinolaryngologic inpatients.

Background: High prevalence of depression has been reported in otorhinolaryngologic patients (ORL). However, studies using a semi-structured interview to determine the prevalence of depression in ORL are lacking. Therefore the present study sought to determine the depression prevalence in ORL applying a semi-structured diagnostic interview and to further characterize the pathopsychological and demographic characteristics of depression in these patients.

The internal dimensions of the cochlear scalae with special reference to cochlear electrode insertion trauma.

Hypothesis: To investigate the intracochlear micromorphology with regard to frequent patterns of cochlear electrode insertion trauma.

Objective: Cochlear implantation is a widely accepted treatment for deafness and high-grade sensorineural hearing loss. Although the device and the implantation methods are continuously optimized, damage of intracochlear structures due to electrode insertion is a frequent finding in temporal bone studies.

Meniere's disease and middle ear pressure: vestibular function after transtympanic tube placement.

Conclusion: Selected patients with Meniere's disease (MD) show an improvement of disability from vertigo after transtympanic ventilation tube insertion, although an effect on vestibular function is not seen if ipsilateral middle ear pressure lower than -50 daPa is used as a selection criterion.

Objectives: Transtympanic ventilation tube insertion as a treatment option for MD has been reported but its results have been controversial. So far, no investigations on vestibular function in patients with MD after tube insertion have been carried out.

Pharmacological modulation of transmitter release by inhibition of pressure-dependent potassium currents in vestibular hair cells.

Vestibular vertigo may be induced by increases in the endolymphatic pressure that activate pressure-dependent K(+) currents (I(K,p)) in vestibular hair cells. I(K,p) have been demonstrated to modulate transmitter release and are inhibited by low concentrations of cinnarizine. Beneficial effects against vestibular vertigo of cinnarizine have been attributed to its inhibition of calcium currents.