Management of Facial Nerve Schwannoma Occluding the External Auditory Canal.

Facial nerve schwannomas (FNSs) eroding through the external auditory canal (EAC) are unusual and present difficult management options.When facial nerve function is normal, observation is generally recommended.If the tumor completely obstructs the EAC creating a conductive hearing loss as in this case, mapping of the motor fibers of the facial nerve may be considered with partial resection to alleviate the conductive hearing loss.

Online Screening and Virtual Patient Education for Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment and Testing.

Objective: To use online screening and virtual patient education tools to improve the provision of hereditary cancer risk assessment.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, single-arm study in which clinicians at five U.S.

Erratum: Gene replacement therapy in a schwannoma mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 2.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.

An External Validation Study for Automated Segmentation of Vestibular Schwannoma.

Objective: To validate how an automated model for vestibular schwannoma (VS) segmentation developed on an external homogeneous dataset performs when applied to internal heterogeneous data.

Patients: The external dataset comprised 242 patients with previously untreated, sporadic unilateral VS undergoing Gamma Knife radiosurgery, with homogeneous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The internal dataset comprised 10 patients from our institution, with heterogeneous MRI scans.

Patient-reported measures of tinnitus for individuals with neurofibromatosis type 2-related schwannomatosis: Recommendations for clinical trials.

Background: Neurofibromatosis type 2-related schwannomatosis is a genetic disease characterized by the development of bilateral vestibular schwannomas, ependymomas, meningiomas, and cataracts. Mild to profound hearing loss and tinnitus are common symptoms reported by individuals with neurofibromatosis type 2. While tinnitus is known to have a significant and negative impact on the quality of life of individuals from the general population, the impact on individuals with neurofibromatosis type 2 is unknown.

Surgical Considerations in Inner Ear Gene Therapy from Human Temporal Bone Anatomy.

Objective(s): Recently directed methods of inner ear drug delivery underscore the necessity for understanding critical anatomical dimensions. This study examines anatomical measurements of the human middle and inner ear relevant for inner ear drug delivery studied with three different imaging modalities.

Methods: Post-mortem human temporal bones were analyzed using human temporal bone histopathology (N = 24), micro computerized tomography (μCT; N = 4), and synchrotron radiation phase-contrast imaging (SR-PCI; N = 7).

Identification of immune-related candidate biomarkers in plasma of patients with sporadic vestibular schwannoma.

Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is an intracranial tumor arising from neoplastic Schwann cells and typically presenting with hearing loss. The traditional belief that hearing deficit is caused by physical expansion of the VS, compressing the auditory nerve, does not explain the common clinical finding that patients with small tumors can have profound hearing loss, suggesting that tumor-secreted factors could influence hearing ability in VS patients. We conducted profiling of patients' plasma for 66 immune-related factors in patients with sporadic VS ( > 170) and identified and validated candidate biomarkers associated with tumor size (S100B) and hearing (MCP-3).

Space weather disrupts nocturnal bird migration.

Space weather, including solar storms, can impact Earth by disturbing the geomagnetic field. Despite the known dependence of birds and other animals on geomagnetic cues for successful seasonal migrations, the potential effects of space weather on organisms that use Earth's magnetic field for navigation have received little study. We tested whether space weather geomagnetic disturbances are associated with disruptions to bird migration at a macroecological scale.

Immune Profiling of Secreted Factors from Human Vestibular Schwannoma Cells and Tumor-associated Macrophages.

Objectives: This study compared the immune-related secretory capacity of human vestibular schwannoma (VS) and tumor-assisted macrophages (TAMs) with their normal counterparts (Schwann cells [SC] and peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages [Mo-MFs], respectively), and examined relationships with presurgical hearing and tumor size.

Methods: VS tumors (n = 16), auditory nerve (n = 1), blood (n = 9), and great auricular nerves (n = 3) were used. SCs (S100B ) and TAMs (CD68 ) were isolated from VS tissue for culture.

Vestibular dysfunction in neurofibromatosis type 2-related schwannomatosis.

Neurofibromatosis type 2-related schwannomatosis is a genetic disorder characterized by neurologic tumours, most typically vestibular schwannomas that originate on the vestibulo-cochlear nerve(s). Although vestibular symptoms can be disabling, vestibular function has never been carefully analysed in neurofibromatosis type 2-related schwannomatosis. Furthermore, chemotherapy (e.

Targeted Therapies in the Treatment of Vestibular Schwannomas: Current State and New Horizons.

Vestibular schwannomas continue to cause hearing loss, facial nerve paralysis, imbalance, and tinnitus. These symptoms are compounded by germline neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) gene loss and multiple intracranial and spinal cord tumors associated with NF2-related schwannomatosis. The current treatments of observation, microsurgical resection, or stereotactic radiation may prevent catastrophic brainstem compression but are all associated with the loss of cranial nerve function, particularly hearing loss.

Proton Radiotherapy for Vestibular Schwannomas in Patients with NF2-Related Schwannomatosis: A Case Series.

(1) Background: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and treatment-related toxicity of proton radiotherapy (PRT) for vestibular schwannoma (VS) in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2-related schwannomatosis (NF2). (2) Methods: Consecutive NF2 patients treated with PRT for VS between 2004 and 2016 were retrospectively evaluated, focusing on tumor volume, facial and trigeminal nerve function, hearing, tinnitus, vestibular symptoms, and the need for salvage therapy after PRT. (3) Results: Eight patients were included (median age 36 years, 50% female).

Association of Plasma Metabolomic Biomarkers With Persistent Tinnitus: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

Importance: Persistent tinnitus is common, disabling, and difficult to treat.

Objective: To evaluate the association between circulating metabolites and persistent tinnitus.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a population-based case-control study of 6477 women who were participants in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and NHS II with metabolomic profiles and tinnitus data.

Identification of Immune-Related Candidate Biomarkers in Plasma of Patients with Sporadic Vestibular Schwannoma: Candidate Plasma Biomarkers in Vestibular Schwannoma.

Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is intracranial tumor arising from neoplastic Schwann cells, causing hearing loss in about 95% of patients. The traditional belief that hearing deficit is caused by physical expansion of the VS, compressing the auditory nerve, does not explain the common clinical finding that patients with small tumors can have profound hearing loss, suggesting that tumor-secreted factors could influence hearing ability in VS patients. Here, we conducted profiling of patients' plasma for 67 immune-related factors on a large cohort of VS patients (N>120) and identified candidate biomarkers associated with tumor growth (IL-16 and S100B) and hearing (MDC).

Labyrinthine Fluid Signal Intensity on T2-Weighted MR Imaging in Patients With Vestibular Schwannomas Undergoing Proton Radiotherapy: A Longitudinal Assessment.

Objective: In vestibular schwannoma patients, a loss of signal intensity (SI) on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been reported within the ipsilateral labyrinth. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the occurrence and course of this intensity loss in relation to proton radiotherapy and its possible association with hearing loss.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Augmented Reality in Otology/Neurotology: A Scoping Review with Implications for Practice and Education.

Objective: To determine how augmented reality (AR) has been applied to the field of otology/neurotology, examine trends and gaps in research, and provide an assessment of the future potential of this technology within surgical practice and education.

Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were assessed from their inceptions through October 2022. A manual bibliography search was also conducted.

Global Driving of Auroral Precipitation: 1. Balance of Sources.

The accurate determination of auroral precipitation in global models has remained a daunting and rather inexplicable obstacle. Understanding the calculation and balance of multiple sources that constitute the aurora, and their eventual conversion into ionospheric electrical conductance, is critical for improved prediction of space weather events. In this study, we present a semi-physical global modeling approach that characterizes contributions by four types of precipitation-monoenergetic, broadband, electron, and ion diffuse-to ionospheric electrodynamics.

Imbalance and dizziness caused by unilateral vestibular schwannomas correlate with vestibulo-ocular reflex precision and bias.

Imbalance and dizziness are disabling symptoms for many patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS) but symptom severity typically does not correlate with the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) amplitude-based metrics used to assess peripheral vestibular damage. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that imbalance and dizziness in patients with VS relate to VOR metrics that are not based on response amplitude. Twenty-four patients with unilateral, sporadic VS tumors were studied, and objective (balance) and subjective (dizziness) vestibular dysfunction was quantified.

Direct SARS-CoV-2 infection of the human inner ear may underlie COVID-19-associated audiovestibular dysfunction.

Background: COVID-19 is a pandemic respiratory and vascular disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. There is a growing number of sensory deficits associated with COVID-19 and molecular mechanisms underlying these deficits are incompletely understood.

Methods: We report a series of ten COVID-19 patients with audiovestibular symptoms such as hearing loss, vestibular dysfunction and tinnitus.

Early phase clinical studies of AR-42, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, for neurofibromatosis type 2-associated vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas.

Objectives: Two pilot studies of AR-42, a pan-histone deacetylase inhibitor, in human neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), vestibular schwannomas (VS), and meningiomas are presented. Primary endpoints included safety, and intra-tumoral pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD).

Methods: Pilot 1 is a subset analysis of a phase 1 study of AR-42 in solid tumors, which included NF2 or sporadic meningiomas.

Neurofibromatosis: Molecular Pathogenesis and Natural Compounds as Potential Treatments.

The neurofibromatosis syndromes, including NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis, are tumor suppressor syndromes characterized by multiple nervous system tumors, particularly Schwann cell neoplasms. NF-related tumors are mainly treated by surgery, and some of them have been treated by but are refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Recent advances in molecular genetics and genomics alongside the development of multiple animal models have provided a better understanding of NF tumor biology and facilitated target identification and therapeutic evaluation.