Vestibular Co-stimulation in Adults with a Cochlear Implant.

Background: Vestibular co-stimulation is a side effect of cochlear implant stimulation. The electrical currents delivered by the cochlear implant can spread toward the vestibular system and thus stimulate it. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether it is feasible to functionally restore the balance by modifying the vestibular co-stimulation.

The reliability of the Dutch version of the vestibular activities avoidance instrument in persons with and without dizziness.

Background: Avoidance of activities that trigger dizziness in persons with vestibular disorders may inhibit dynamic vestibular compensation mechanisms.

Objective: To determine the reliability of the Vestibular Activities Avoidance Instrument (VAAI) 81 and 9 item tool and to compare the VAAI scores in Dutch-speaking healthy adults and in patients with vestibular disorders.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted including 151 healthy participants and 106 participants with dizziness.

Understanding and Managing Trauma-Induced Vestibular Deficits.

Objectives: Traumatic brain injury occurs frequently worldwide. Half of traumatic brain injuries are related to falls or motor vehicle accidents. The term "concussion" is often used to describe a minor form of traumatic brain injury.

Prognostic Value of Trial Round Window Stimulation for Selection of Candidates for Cochlear Implantation as Treatment for Tinnitus.

Electrical stimulation with cochlear implants is able to significantly suppress the tinnitus sensations in 25-72% of implanted patients. Up to this point, no clear predictors for the effectiveness of tinnitus suppression with cochlear implants have been found and this substantially limits the possibility of the application of cochlear implants for this purpose. The objective of the study was to investigate if a trial electrical round window stimulation (RWS) could be used as a diagnostic tool for identifying candidates in whom electrical stimulation would be successful as treatment for tinnitus.

Differences in Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential Responses by Using Cochlear Implant and Otolith Organ Direct Stimulation.

Several studies have demonstrated the possibility to obtain vestibular potentials elicited with electrical stimulation from cochlear and vestibular implants. The objective of this study is to analyze the vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) obtained from patients implanted with cochlear and vestibulo-cochlear implant. We compared two groups: in the first group, four cochlear implant (CI) recipients with present acoustic cVEMPs before CI surgery were included.

The MO-meatocanalplasty: long-term results in the narrow external auditory canal with recurrent otitis externa or the inability to wear a hearing aid.

Objective: The MO-meatocanalplasty is the oblique modification of the M-meatoplasty. The MO-meatocanalplasty was designed to address the superior quadrants of the meatus and the bony canal without the need for a retro-auricular incision. This retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the long-term results of the MO-meatocanalplasty in patients with a narrow external auditory canal (EAC) with recurrent otitis externa or in patients unable to wear a hearing aid.

The relationship between cochleovestibular function tests and endolymphatic hydrops grading on MRI in patients with Menière's disease.

Purpose: In this retrospective study the relationship between cochleovestibular function and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-) based classification system of endolymphatic hydrops was investigated.

Methods: Seventy-eight patients with unilateral definite Menière's disease who underwent MRI were included. The parameters of Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), caloric irrigation test, cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, and video Head Impulse Test were compared between the grades of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) and perilymphatic enhancement (PE) on MRI.

Vestibular Infant Screening (VIS)-Flanders: results after 1.5 years of vestibular screening in hearing-impaired children.

Due to the close anatomical relationship between the auditory and vestibular end organs, hearing-impaired children have a higher risk for vestibular dysfunction, which can affect their (motor) development. Unfortunately, vestibular dysfunction often goes unnoticed, as vestibular assessment in these children is not standard of care nowadays. To timely detect vestibular dysfunction, the Vestibular Infant Screening-Flanders (VIS-Flanders) project has implemented a basic vestibular screening test for hearing-impaired infants in Flanders (Belgium) with a participation rate of 86.

The bony obliteration tympanoplasty in cholesteatoma: safety, hygiene and hearing outcome: allograft versus autograft tympanic membrane reconstruction.

Objective: To evaluate early results on hygiene, safety and functional outcome in a population undergoing a canal wall up technique with bony obliteration of the mastoid and epitympanic space (CWU-BOT) for extensive cholesteatoma, performed by a single surgeon. This study compares different techniques of tympanic membrane reconstruction, viz. allografts and autografts.

The Antwerp Vestibular Compensation Index (AVeCI): an index for vestibular compensation estimation, based on functional balance performance.

Purpose: To create an index that is a measure of the amount of vestibular compensation and for which only functional balance performance is needed.

Methods: The medical charts of 62 eligible peripheral vestibular dysfunction (PVD) patients were analyzed retrospectively. To be included, the following vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and balance performance data had to be available: (1) caloric and sinusoidal harmonic acceleration test (SHA) and (2) standing balance sum-eyes closed (SBS-EC), Timed Up and Go Test and Dynamic Gait Index.

The Sensitivity of the cVEMP Test in Detecting A Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence and the Influence of a Coexisting Incudal Lysis: A Case Report.

In this case report, the air-conducted cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (AC cVEMP) test was only sensitive for the left superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD), even though the contralateral SCD was of equal length (2.5 mm). Furthermore, a lysis of the processus lenticularis incudis caused a real conductive hearing loss in the left ear.

Intrauterine device (IUD) migration in cesarean delivery scar: What to do with the niche?

Background: The presence of a niche after cesarean section is a common and mostly asymptomatic finding. However, it can cause symptoms or result in impaired fertility or obstetric complications in following pregnancies. At present there is no uniform consensus on when to treat and which way of repair is most suitable.

Health Related Quality of Life after the Bony Obliteration Tympanoplasty for COM with Cholesteatoma using the COMQ12 - A Disease Specific PROM.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of canal wall up with bony obliteration tympanoplasty (CWU-BOT) on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma by using the chronic otitis media questionnaire 12 (COMQ-12).

Materials And Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of the COMQ-12 of 26 patients who completed the COMQ-12 before and after a CWU-BOT with eradication of cholesteatoma followed by obliteration of the mastoid and paratympanic space with bone chips and bone pâté and reconstruction of the tympanic membrane and ossicular chain.

Results: All patients were operated upon in our institute between 2014 and 2017.

The rationale of opportunistic bilateral salpingectomies (OBS) during benign gynaecological and obstetric surgery: a consensus text of the Flemish Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (VVOG).

Ovarian cancer (OC), is a disease difficult to diagnose in an early stage implicating a poor prognosis. The 5-year overall survival in Belgium has not changed in the last 18 years and remains 44 %. There is no effective screening method (secondary prevention) to detect ovarian cancer at an early stage.

Electrical Vestibular Stimulation in Humans: A Narrative Review.

Background: In patients with bilateral vestibulopathy, the regular treatment options, such as medication, surgery, and/or vestibular rehabilitation, do not always suffice. Therefore, the focus in this field of vestibular research shifted to electrical vestibular stimulation (EVS) and the development of a system capable of artificially restoring the vestibular function. Key Message: Currently, three approaches are being investigated: vestibular co-stimulation with a cochlear implant (CI), EVS with a vestibular implant (VI), and galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS).

Cochlear Erosion due to a Facial Nerve Schwannoma.

Facial nerve schwannomas are rare benign neoplasms. We report a case of a 60-year-old woman who initially presented with vestibular complaints. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a facial nerve schwannoma centered on the right geniculate ganglion extending in the labyrinthine segment.

Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of the Dutch Version of the Chronic Otitis Media Benefit Inventory.

Objectives: We aimed to test the validity and test-retest reliability of the Dutch translation of the Chronic Otitis Media Benefit Inventory (COMBI) questionnaire.

Materials And Methods: In total, 30 chronic otitis media (COM) patients with a previous ear surgery completed the questionnaire; 30 patients with a negative medical history of COM complaints and with previous non-otologic surgery as the control group completed the questionnaire. For estimating the test-retest reliability, patients of the COM group completed the questionnaire twice; the scores were compared to those of the control group to test the validity.

The value of four stage vestibular hydrops grading and asymmetric perilymphatic enhancement in the diagnosis of Menière's disease on MRI.

Purpose: There is still a clinical-radiologic discrepancy in patients with Menière's disease (MD). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of current MRI endolymphatic hydrops (EH) criteria according to Baráth in a larger study population and the clinical utility of new imaging signs such as a supplementary fourth low-grade vestibular EH and the degree of perilymphatic enhancement (PE) in patients with Menière's disease (MD).

Methods: This retrospective study included 148 patients with probable or definite MD according to the 2015 American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery criteria who underwent a 4-h delayed intravenous Gd-enhanced 3D-FLAIR MRI between January 2015 and December 2016.

The Value of Diffusion-Weighted MRI in the Long-term follow-up After Subtotal Petrosectomy for Extensive Cholesteatoma and Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media.

Objective: To report the long-term follow-up with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW MRI) after subtotal petrosectomy (SP) with blind sac closure of the external auditory canal for extensive cholesteatoma and chronic suppurative otitis media.

Study Design: Retrospective clinical record study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

The Bony Obliteration Tympanoplasty in Pediatric Cholesteatoma: Long-term Hearing Results.

Objective: To present the hearing results of a 5-year longitudinal study in a pediatric population undergoing surgery for extensive cholesteatoma using a canal wall up (CWU) approach with bony obliteration of the mastoid and epitympanic space, with a standard residual rate of 5.8%, a recurrence rate of 2.9%, and all ears waterproof, free of otorrhea and all external ear canals patent and self-cleaning.

Surgical Treatment of Acquired Atresia of the External Auditory Ear Canal.

 Acquired atresia of the external auditory canal is characterized by the formation of fibrous tissue in the medial part. The causes include chronic otitis externa, perforated chronic otitis media, postoperative or idiopathic healing problems. Acquired atresia presents with hearing loss and can be associated with otorrhea.

'Standard' versus 'nose reference' electrode placement for measuring oVEMPs with air-conducted sound: Test-retest reliability and preliminary patient results.

Objectives: This study compared two electrode placements ('standard' versus 'nose reference' placement) for measuring oVEMPs, elicited by air-conducted 500Hz tone bursts. The test-retest reliability of both positions was evaluated and additionally both electrode placements were applied on a group of vestibular patients.

Methods: Eighteen healthy volunteers (range of 20-25years) participated in the first part and were retested after one week for evaluation of the test-retest reliability.