Migraine-Associated Otalgia: An Underappreciated Entity.

Background And Objectives: Otalgia can be primary/otogenic or secondary as a referred pain from another site, which can be difficult to establish owing to various causes and the complex innervation of the ear. In our center, we observed a large group of patients with unexplained otalgia that had a higher prevalence of migraine. We hypothesized that migraine may cause secondary otalgia.

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) for the pediatric otolaryngologist.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a double-stranded DNA virus and a member of the herpesvirus family. It is the most common congenital viral infection. For symptomatic infections, symptoms can vary widely but tends to have a predilection for the central nervous system and for the reticuloendothelial system.

The Pathology of the Vestibular System in CANVAS.

Objective: To describe the site of lesion responsible for the severe, bilateral, symmetrical, selective loss of vestibular function in Cerebellar Ataxia with Neuronopathy and Vestibular Areflexia Syndrome (CANVAS), an adult-onset recessively-inherited ataxia, characterized by progressive imbalance due to a combination of cerebellar, somatosensory, and selective vestibular impairment with normal hearing.

Methods: Histologic examination of five temporal bones and the brainstems from four CANVAS patients and the brainstem only from one more, each diagnosed and followed from diagnosis to death by one of the clinician authors.

Results: All five temporal bones showed severe loss of vestibular ganglion cells (cell counts 3-16% of normal), and atrophy of the vestibular nerves, whereas vestibular receptor hair cells and the vestibular nuclei were preserved.

Comparison of Temporal Bone Parameters before Cochlear Implantation in Patients with and without Facial Nerve Stimulation.

Background And Objectives: Facial nerve stimulation (FNS) is a complication of cochlear implantation (CI). This study compared the thickness and density of the bone separating the upper basal turn of the cochlea (UBTC) and the labyrinthine segment of the facial nerve (LSFN) on preoperative computed tomography (CT) in patients with and without FNS after CI.

Subjects And Methods: Adult patients who underwent CI from January 2011 to February 2017 with preoperative CT at a tertiary referral hospital were considered for this retrospective case-control study.

A 3D benign paroxysmal positional vertigo model for study of otolith disease.

Objective: To develop a three-dimensional study tool of the membranous labyrinth in order to study the pathophysiology, diagnostic workup and treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). BPPV is the most common cause of peripheral vertigo. Its diagnosis and treatment depend on an understanding of the anatomy of the vestibular labyrinth and its position relative to the head.

Computed tomography appearance of normal nonossified thyroid cartilage: implication for tumor invasion diagnosis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the density and homogeneity of the nonossified thyroid cartilage (NOTC) on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) providing preliminary information for future evaluation of cartilage invasion using dual-energy CT.

Methods: One hundred normal-larynx CT scans were evaluated for the density and homogeneity of NOTC.

Results: The density of the NOTC was homogeneous in all cases.

Intracochlear inflammatory response to cochlear implant electrodes in humans.

Hypothesis: This study evaluates the types and degrees of tissue response adjacent to the electrode of multichannel cochlear implants.

Background: Cochlear implant electrodes have been classified as biocompatible prostheses. Nevertheless, in some reports, electrode extrusion, chronic inflammation, and even soft failure of the implant system have been attributed to a tissue response to the electrode.

Within-subject comparison of word recognition and spiral ganglion cell count in bilateral cochlear implant recipients.

Objectives: Although published reports have not demonstrated a positive correlation between the number of residual spiral ganglion cells (SGCs) and word recognition scores in patients with unilateral multichannel cochlear implants, this study was designed to retest this hypothesis in patients with bilateral multichannel cochlear implants.

Materials And Methods: From a pool of 133 temporal bones, all subjects with bilateral multichannel cochlear implants who were deafened bilaterally by the same etiology were studied. A total of 12 temporal bones from 6 subjects were identified and processed after death for histology.

Histopathology of the inner ear in patients with xeroderma pigmentosum and neurologic degeneration.

Introduction: Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations resulting in defective repair of DNA damage. XP patients have a markedly increased risk of ultraviolet-induced neoplasms and premature aging of sun-exposed tissue. Approximately 25% of XP patients in the United States have neurologic abnormalities including progressive sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

The pathologic basis of facial nerve stimulation in otosclerosis and multi-channel cochlear implantation.

Hypothesis: Unintentional electrical stimulation of the facial nerve by cochlear implants occurs when advanced otosclerosis invades the endosteum of both the upper basal turn of the cochlea (UBTC) and the facial nerve canal (FNC) and all the bone between these 2 structures.

Background: A complication of cochlear implantation is facial nerve stimulation (FNS) known to be more common in otosclerosis. Otosclerotic involvement of the enchondral bone of the otic capsule results in areas of bone resorption, new bone formation, vascular proliferation, and a connective tissue stroma.

Effect of monopolar and bipolar electric stimulation on survival and size of human spiral ganglion cells as studied by postmortem histopathology.

The spiral ganglion cell (SGC) is the target of electrical stimulation in cochlear implants. This study is designed to test the hypothesis that chronic electrical stimulation tends to preserve SGCs in implanted hearing-impaired ears. A total of 26 pairs of temporal bones were studied from 26 individuals who in life suffered bilateral profound hearing impairment that was symmetric (in degree of impairment and etiology) across ears and then underwent unilateral cochlear implantation.

[N,N'-Bis(2,6-dichloro-benzyl-idene)propane-1,3-diamine-κ(2)N,N']dibromidozinc.

In the title compound, [ZnBr(2)(C(17)H(14)Cl(4)N(2))], the Zn(II) ion is bonded to two bromide ions and two N atoms of the diimine ligand and displays a moderately distorted tetra-hedral coordination geometry. The Schiff base ligand acts as a chelating ligand and coordinates to the Zn(II) atom via two N atoms.

Interaural comparison of spiral ganglion cell counts in profound deafness.

Objectives: This study is designed to measure the degree to which spiral ganglion cell (SGC) survival in the left and right ears is similar in profoundly hearing-impaired human patients with symmetric (right/left) etiology and sensitivity. This is of interest because a small difference between ears would imply that one ear could be used as a control ear in temporal bone studies evaluating the impact on SGC survival of a medical intervention in the other ear.

Materials And Methods: Forty-two temporal bones from 21 individuals with bilaterally symmetric profound hearing impairment were studied.