Quality of Life for Patients with Sporadic Small Vestibular Schwannomas Following Middle Fossa Craniotomy.

Objective: To evaluate quality-of-life outcomes for patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS) undergoing a middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach.

Study Design: Prospective study from 2018 to 2023.

Setting: Tertiary academic institution.

Management of Neurofibromatosis Type 2-Associated Vestibular Schwannomas.

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is an autosomal dominant syndrome caused by a mutation in the NF2 suppressor gene and is characterized by the development of multiple benign tumors throughout the central nervous system. Bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are pathognomonic for NF2 and are associated with progressive hearing loss and eventual deafness in most patients. This review presents current management options for NF-2-associated VSs.

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Olfactory Dysfunction Outcomes Rating.

Importance: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is an increasingly common and morbid condition, especially given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the ability to reproducibly measure smell loss-associated quality of life (QOL) and its response to treatment is paramount.

Objective: To develop and validate a concise and visually appealing smell loss-associated QOL patient-reported outcome measure for OD.

Early Hearing Preservation Outcomes Following Cochlear Implantation With New Slim Lateral Wall Electrode Using Electrocochleography.

Objective: Describe early hearing preservation (HP) cochlear implantation (CI) outcomes using a new slim lateral wall electrode (SLWE).

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Smell Changes and Efficacy of Nasal Theophylline (SCENT) irrigation: A randomized controlled trial for treatment of post-viral olfactory dysfunction.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intranasal theophylline saline irrigation on olfactory recovery in patients with post-viral olfactory dysfunction (PVOD).

Methods: Between May 2019 and April 2020, we conducted a double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of adults with 6-36 months of PVOD. Patients were randomized to nasal theophylline saline irrigation or placebo saline irrigation twice a day for 6 weeks.

Computed Tomography as a Predictor of Sinonasal Inverted Papilloma Origin, Skull Base Involvement, and Stage.

 To investigate the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT) to determine the origin, skull base involvement, and stage of sinonasal inverted papilloma (IP).  This is a retrospective cohort study.  This is set at a tertiary care medical center.

Association of Olfactory Training With Neural Connectivity in Adults With Postviral Olfactory Dysfunction.

Importance: Viral upper respiratory tract infections are a major cause of olfactory loss. Olfactory training (OT) is a promising intervention for smell restoration; however, a mechanistic understanding of the changes in neural plasticity induced by OT is absent.

Objective: To evaluate functional brain connectivity in adults with postviral olfactory dysfunction (PVOD) before and after OT using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Use of Off-Label Nasal Steroid Irrigations in Long-Term Management of Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Objective: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammatory disease of the paranasal sinuses and mucosa. Topical nasal corticosteroids are a mainstay treatment for CRS by reducing sinonasal inflammation and improving mucociliary clearance. However, topical corticosteroids have limited paranasal distribution, and patient response to treatment has been variable in randomized controlled trials (RCT).

Randomized clinical trial to evaluate mometasone lavage vs spray for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps who have not undergone sinus surgery.

Background: There is no consensus regarding the best route of intranasal delivery of corticosteroids in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The study objective of this work was to compare the impact of mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) vs mometasone nasal irrigation in the management of CRS patients who have not undergone sinus surgery.

Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted in adults with CRS.

Incidence of Infectious Complications Following Cochlear Implantation in Children and Adults.

This cohort study uses data from state health care databases to determine the incidence and timing of infectious complications following cochlear implant surgery among patients in 5 US states between 2006 and 2016.

Morphologic, intraoperative, and histologic risk factors for sinonasal inverted papilloma recurrence.

Objective: Sinonasal inverted papillomas (IP) are benign neoplasms with a propensity for local recurrence. Many risk factors are reported, with little consistency between studies. This study aimed to comprehensively assess for demographic, imaging, histopathologic, and intraoperative risk factors for recurrence.

Trend of surgery for orbital cellulitis: An analysis of state inpatient databases.

Objectives/hypothesis: To evaluate the trend and factors associated with surgical management of orbital cellulitis.

Study Design: Retrospective database study.

Methods: Study using the State Inpatient Databases (SIDs) from 2008 to 2015.

Development of a Mixed Reality Platform for Lateral Skull Base Anatomy.

Objectives: A mixed reality (MR) headset that enables three-dimensional (3D) visualization of interactive holograms anchored to specific points in physical space was developed for use with lateral skull base anatomy. The objectives of this study are to: 1) develop an augmented reality platform using the headset for visualization of temporal bone structures, and 2) measure the accuracy of the platform as an image guidance system.

Methods: A combination of semiautomatic and manual segmentation was used to generate 3D reconstructions of soft tissue and bony anatomy of cadaver heads and temporal bones from 2D computed tomography images.

Increased Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling in the Cutaneous Vasculature of Patients with Calciphylaxis.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signal transduction in the pathogenesis of calciphylaxis.

Methods: Skin biopsy specimens were obtained from 18 patients with, and 12 patients without, calciphylaxis. Tissue sections were stained with antibodies directed against BMP effector proteins phosphorylated-SMAD (p-SMAD) 1/5/9, inhibitor of DNA 1 (Id1), inhibitor of DNA 3 (Id3), and Runx2.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms related to cystic fibrosis in chronic rhinositus-a pilot study.

Background: The clinical association between cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is well known. Studies have identified several non-CF transmembrane conductance regulator single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with disease severity in CF patients. We hypothesized that prevalence of these SNPs would be different between CRS patients and age/gender-matched non-CRS controls.

Temporary Lumbar Drain as Treatment for Pediatric Fulminant Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

Fulminant idiopathic intracranial hypertension (FIIH) is a subtype of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) characterized by rapid, severe, progressive vision loss. Surgical intervention is often performed either as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt procedure or an optic nerve sheath fenestration or, at times, both. These surgical procedures carry a significant risk of morbidity and failure.

Endodermal Cyst of the Third Nerve in a Child.

Endodermal cysts, also known as neurogenic, neuroenteric, foregut, bronchogenic, respiratory, epithelial, teratomatous, or gastrocytoma cysts, can be found in the central nervous system, predominantly in the subarachnoid space of the cervical and thoracic spinal cord. We describe a child with an endodermal cyst of the third nerve and highlight neuroimaging findings, pathological correlation, clinical course, and patient management.

Emerging roles of the bone morphogenetic protein pathway in cancer: potential therapeutic target for kinase inhibition.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family signalling pathway. Similar to TGF-β, the complex roles of BMPs in development and disease are demonstrated by their dichotomous roles in various cancers and cancer stages. Although early studies implicated BMP signalling in tumour suppressive phenotypes, the results of more recent experiments recognize BMPs as potent tumour promoters.

Speech outcomes in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome following surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic factors associated with improved speech outcomes following surgical correction for velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) in pediatric patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS).

Methods: Eighteen patients were identified via retrospective chart review of patients with 22q11DS between 2005 and 2014.

Logistic regression analysis of Pierre Robin sequence patients requiring surgical intervention.

Objectives/hypothesis: Determine predictive patient characteristics that guide the decision to proceed with surgical management of tongue-based airway obstruction (TBAO) in Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) patients.

Study Design: Retrospective review of PRS patients between 2005 and 2014 requiring observation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Methods: Patient charts were reviewed for prenatal diagnoses, clinical course, and need for surgical intervention (tracheotomy or mandibular distraction osteogenesis), and the nonsurgical and surgical group were compared with a logistic regression model.

Prevalence of hearing loss in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and characterize the types of hearing loss in pediatric patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS).

Methods: Fifty-eight patients were identified via retrospective chart review performed of patients with 22q11DS between 1996 and 2014.

Novel MicroRNA Regulators of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Production.

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) has a central role in regulating blood pressure in humans. Recently, microRNA 425 (miR-425) was found to regulate ANP production by binding to the mRNA of NPPA, the gene encoding ANP. mRNAs typically contain multiple predicted microRNA (miRNA)-binding sites, and binding of different miRNAs may independently or coordinately regulate the expression of any given mRNA.

S-Nitrosylation of Calcium-Handling Proteins in Cardiac Adrenergic Signaling and Hypertrophy.

Rationale: The regulation of calcium (Ca(2+)) homeostasis by β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) activation provides the essential underpinnings of sympathetic regulation of myocardial function, as well as a basis for understanding molecular events that result in hypertrophic signaling and heart failure. Sympathetic stimulation of the βAR not only induces protein phosphorylation but also activates nitric oxide-dependent signaling, which modulates cardiac contractility. Nonetheless, the role of nitric oxide in βAR-dependent regulation of Ca(2+) handling has not yet been explicated fully.