Are intra-tympanically administered steroids effective in patients with sudden deafness? Implications for current clinical practice.

Over 60 years since its first report, sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) still represents an ill-explained condition, with potentially devastating effects for the quality of life of previously well patients. The present study critically reviewed the available evidence regarding the efficacy of intra-tympanic steroid administration in the treatment of SSNHL. Factors affecting that efficacy were also explored.

CT scan versus surgery: how reliable is the preoperative radiological assessment in patients with chronic otitis media?

The objective of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of the preoperative radiological assessment regarding 10 different middle ear structures in patients with chronic otitis media (COM). The setting of the prospective study was in a Tertiary university hospital. Fifty patients scheduled for a primary operation for COM.

Efficacy assessment and complications of surgical management for superior semicircular canal dehiscence: a meta-analysis of published interventional studies.

Superior semicircular canal syndrome (SSCS) includes vestibular and audiological symptoms which result from the introduction of a third mobile window into the osseous cochlea. Surgical repair is considered in cases of incapacitating symptoms. The present paper aims at comparing the different surgical approaches and modes of dehiscence repair, regarding their respective efficacy and potential pitfalls.

Biofilms in ear, nose, and throat infections: how important are they?

Background: Biofilms present a new challenging concept in sustaining chronic, common antibiotic-resistant ear, nose, and throat (ENT) infections. They are communities of sessile bacteria embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances of their own synthesis that adhere to a foreign body or a mucosal surface with impaired host defense. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on ENT diseases that can be attributed to biofilm formation and to discuss options for future treatment.