Prognostic factors of facial nerve function after vestibular schwannoma removal via translabyrinthine approach.

Background: Prediction of facial function is a major concern when proposing surgery for patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS).

Aims/objectives: To evaluate postoperative facial function of patients who underwent operation of VS via a translabyrinthine approach (TL), and to analyze factors that influence facial functions.

Material And Methods: A total of 91 VS patients, who were operated via a TL approach, between March 1997 and December 2016, were analyzed.

Framingham Risk Score as a Prognostic Predictor of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Preliminary Study.

Objectives/hypothesis: Predicting the prognosis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) remains challenging. This investigation aimed to apply Framingham Risk Scores (FRS) to assess the combination of prognostic factors following ISSHL and investigate the predictive role of FRS in patients with multiple comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

How to Avoid Facial Nerve Injury in Mastoidectomy?

Unexpected iatrogenic facial nerve paralysis not only affects facial disfiguration, but also imposes a devastating effect on the social, psychological, and economic aspects of an affected person's life at once. The aims of this study were to postulate where surgeons had mistakenly drilled or where obscured by granulations or by fibrous bands and to look for surgical approach with focused on the safety of facial nerve in mastoid surgery. We had found 14 cases of iatrogenic facial nerve injury (IFNI) during mastoid surgery for 5 years in Korea.

Temporal Lobe Retraction Provides Better Surgical Exposure of the Peri-Geniculate Ganglion for Facial Nerve Decompression via Transmastoid Approach.

Purpose: For the exposure of the labyrinthine segment of the facial nerve, transmastoid approach is not usually considered due to being situated behind the superior semicircular canal. To obtain a better view and bigger field for manipulation in the peri-geniculate area during facial nerve decompression, retraction of temporal lobe after bony removal of tegmen mastoideum was designed via transmastoid approach.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen patients with traumatic facial paralysis [House-Brackmann (HB) grade IV-VI], 3 patients with Bell's palsy (HB grade V-VI), and 2 patients with herpes zoster oticus (HB grade V-VI) underwent facial nerve decompression surgery between January 2008 and July 2014.

Quality of life differences in patients with right- versus left-sided facial paralysis: Universal preference of right-sided human face recognition.

Introduction: We investigated whether experiencing right- or left-sided facial paralysis would affect an individual's ability to recognize one side of the human face using hybrid hemi-facial photos by preliminary study. Further investigation looked at the relationship between facial recognition ability, stress, and quality of life.

Materials And Methods: To investigate predominance of one side of the human face for face recognition, 100 normal participants (right-handed: n = 97, left-handed: n = 3, right brain dominance: n = 56, left brain dominance: n = 44) answered a questionnaire that included hybrid hemi-facial photos developed to determine decide superiority of one side for human face recognition.

Cochlear Implantation for Profound Hearing Loss After Multimodal Treatment for Neuroblastoma in Children.

Objectives: Neuroblastoma (NBL) predominantly affects children under 5 years of age. Through multimodal therapy, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, the survival rate in patients with NBL have improved while treatment-related complications have also increased. Treatment-related ototoxicity, mainly from cisplatin, can result in profound hearing loss requiring cochlear implantation (CI).

Clinical effectiveness of wireless CROS (contralateral routing of offside signals) hearing aids.

This study evaluated the clinical effectiveness of wireless contralateral routing of offside signals hearing aids (CROS) in patients with severe to profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL). Twenty-one patients with USNHL were enrolled in this prospective study. The change of subjective satisfaction was evaluated using three questionnaires (K-HHIE, K-IOI-HA, K-SSQ).

Low power radiofrequency ablation for symptomatic microcystic lymphatic malformation of the tongue.

Although many head and neck surgeons agree that complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice for lymphatic malformation, the infiltrating nature of microcystic lymphatic malformations and the involvement of vital structures of the head and neck make total removal nearly impossible in most cases. Recently radiofrequency ablation was introduced for the treatment of microcystic lymphatic malformations of the oral cavity; it destroys lesion tissues at low temperature (40-70 degrees C) with minimal damage to adjacent structures. However, high energy (800-1200 J) and general anesthesia for radiofrequency ablation can hinder the easy and repetitive application of radiofrequency to patients.

Questionnaire evaluation of sequelae over 5 years after parotidectomy for benign diseases.

The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term (more than 5 years) quality of life issues after parotidectomy for the treatment of benign disease. A questionnaire survey was performed after institutional review board approval, on patients who had undergone any type of parotidectomy for benign salivary diseases. Fifty-three patients were surveyed at more than 5 years (the long term group) and 39 patients at 1-2 years after surgery (the control group).

Changes of maxillary sinus volume and bony thickness of the paranasal sinuses in longstanding pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis.

Objectives: To evaluate the chronic bony changes in the paranasal sinuses of longstanding chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in pediatric patients and to compare them with normal controls.

Study Design: A single-institution retrospective analysis.

Method: Thirty 15- and 16-year-old children with longstanding CRS, for more than 2 years, despite maximal medical treatment and had a Lund CT score over 20 were enrolled as the CRS group.

Pediatric sialolithiasis: what is different from adult sialolithiasis?

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of pediatric sialolithiasis, which are distinct from those of adult sialolithiasis.

Methods: A total of 210 patients with sialolithiasis confirmed by surgical treatment were enrolled in the study from Samsung Medical Registry (1995-2005). Twenty-nine were pediatric patients (age < or =18 years) and 181 adult patients (age >19 years).