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Objective: This study aimed to compare daily and total recreational music exposure levels and extended-spectrum audiogram results in young adults without pre-existing hearing problems., Design: The study included healthy volunteers aged 18-25 with no known ear disease or hearing loss. Participants completed a questionnaire, underwent otoscopic and tympanometric examinations, and determined preferred music volumes in an audiometry booth using calibrated music samples of their preferred genres. Hearing thresholds up to 16 kiloHertz (kHz) were measured. Daily music exposure for each participant was normalized to 8 h to calculate a time-weighted average of 8 h (TWA8). Total exposure (TE) was calculated by multiplying TWA8 by the number of years of music listening., Results: A total of 32.4% of participants had TWA8s above 65 dB. Their hearing thresholds at 125, 250, 500, and 16,000 Hz and the average of 125 Hz-8 kHz were significantly higher. Participants with TWA8s above 65 dB were also more prone to speaking loudly and experiencing communication difficulties on the phone. Those with a TE of more than 400 experienced significantly more speech discrimination difficulty in noisy environments and temporary hearing loss/tinnitus after exposure to loud music. Participants with a TE above 700 had worse thresholds at 4, 14, and 16 kHz frequencies, as well as 125-8000 Hz and 500-4000 Hz averages compared to those with a TE below 700., Conclusions: This study provides evidence that recreational music with much lower exposure levels than the universally accepted TWA8 of 85 dB could negatively impact hearing in healthy young adults. Therefore, maintaining a maximum TWA8 of 65 dB is recommended., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Patient-to-image registration is a preliminary step required in surgical navigation based on preoperative images. Human intervention and fiducial markers hamper this task as they are time-consuming and introduce potential errors. We aimed to develop a fully automatic 2D registration system for augmented reality in ear surgery., Methods: CT-scans and corresponding oto-endoscopic videos were collected from 41 patients (58 ears) undergoing ear examination (vestibular schwannoma before surgery, profound hearing loss requiring cochlear implant, suspicion of perilymphatic fistula, contralateral ears in cases of unilateral chronic otitis media). Two to four images were selected from each case. For the training phase, data from patients (75% of the dataset) and 11 cadaveric specimens were used. Tympanic membranes and malleus handles were contoured on both video images and CT-scans by expert surgeons. The algorithm used a U-Net network for detecting the contours of the tympanic membrane and the malleus on both preoperative CT-scans and endoscopic video frames. Then, contours were processed and registered through an iterative closest point algorithm. Validation was performed on 4 cases and testing on 6 cases. Registration error was measured by overlaying both images and measuring the average and Hausdorff distances., Results: The proposed registration method yielded a precision compatible with ear surgery with a 2D mean overlay error of 0.65 ± 0.60 mm for the incus and 0.48 ± 0.32 mm for the round window. The average Hausdorff distance for these 2 targets was 0.98 ± 0.60 mm and 0.78 ± 0.34 mm respectively. An outlier case with higher errors (2.3 mm and 1.5 mm average Hausdorff distance for incus and round window respectively) was observed in relation to a high discrepancy between the projection angle of the reconstructed CT-scan and the video image. The maximum duration for the overall process was 18 s., Conclusions: A fully automatic 2D registration method based on a convolutional neural network and applied to ear surgery was developed. The method did not rely on any external fiducial markers nor human intervention for landmark recognition. The method was fast and its precision was compatible with ear surgery., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To present the utility of a smartphone-enabled otoscope as a teaching adjunct in pre-clinical otoscopy training., Methods: 60 pre-clinical medical students were randomized into either a control group using a conventional otoscope or an experimental group using a smartphone-enabled otoscope. Participants in each group were trained to use their assigned device and were given time to practice on a colleague's ear. Participants then completed a questionnaire indicating their ability to visualize anatomical landmarks of the middle ear as well as their confidence in performing a middle ear examination using their device., Results: Compared to participants using the conventional otoscope, significantly more students using the smartphone-enabled otoscope identified the umbo (93% versus 63%, P = 0.005), the short process of the malleus (67% versus 33%, P = 0.008), the cone of light (100% versus 70%, P = 0.001), and the pars flaccida (60% versus 33%, P = 0.03). Furthermore, participants who used the smartphone-enabled otoscope reported significantly increased confidence in performing otoscopy compared to those who used a conventional otoscope (4.1 ± 0.7 versus 2.8 ± 0.9, P < 0.001). Finally, participants rated the smartphone-enabled otoscope as an excellent teaching aid for otoscopy training., Conclusion: The smartphone-enabled otoscope serves as a valuable teaching tool for pre-clinical otoscopy education. After using the device, pre-clinical students were more confident in performing a middle ear examination and in identifying important anatomical landmarks of the middle ear.

Middle ear cholesteatoma has been extensively studied. Theories of cholesteatoma pathogenesis involving previous tympanic membrane retraction are the most widely accepted, but the contralateral ear in patients with cholesteatoma remains unstudied. This study aimed to investigate the contralateral ear in patients with cholesteatoma, and to determine whether the characteristics of it differ according to patient age and cholesteatoma growth patterns. This study was cross sectional. We evaluated 356 patients with middle ear cholesteatoma in at least one ear, and no history of surgery, between August 2000 and March 2013. Otoendoscopy was conducted on both the affected and the contralateral ear. They were classified as normal, tympanic membrane perforation, moderate to severe tympanic membrane retraction and cholesteatoma. The mean age of the patients was 32.77 years, and 53.1 % of the cohort were female. Only 34.8 % of the contralateral ears were normal. The most common abnormality was moderate to severe tympanic membrane retraction (41.6 %). Cholesteatoma was identified in 16 %. Children exhibited a greater frequency of tympanic membrane retractions, whereas adults exhibited a greater frequency of cholesteatoma. All of the contralateral ears in the anterior epitympanic group were normal, but otherwise there were no differences in the contralateral ear when we compared the cholesteatoma growth patterns. We conclude that patients diagnosed with acquired cholesteatoma of one ear are significantly more likely to exhibit abnormalities of the contralateral ear.

To examine how individual surfing behaviour affects the development of external auditory canal exostosis and to produce a model to predict exostosis severity. A standardised questionnaire was completed and each participant underwent an otoscopic examination. Surfers were recruited from August to October 2011 from surfing competitions and from colleges in the South West of England. 207 surfers were included, 53 % had evidence of external auditory canal; exostosis: grade 1, 23%; grade 2, 16%, grade 3, 16%. This risk of exostosis significantly increased with (1) surfing for 6 or more years, (2) surfing in the winter months, (3) surfing five or more times per month in the winter and (4) reported ear symptoms. Interestingly, participation in other water sports and wearing earplugs or a hood reduced the risk of developing exostosis. Surfers who surf in England are at significant risk of exostosis. A probability model was designed, incorporating different surfing behaviours and ear symptoms, the first of its kind in exostosis research. This model will be a useful tool for raising awareness of external ear canal exostosis in the surfing community and in assessing individual need for surgical intervention.

The purpose of the study is to assess the effect of a novel quorum sensing inhibitor (QSI), coded as 'yd 47', against otitis media and biofilm formation on Cochlear implants (CIs). Small pieces cut from cochlear implant were implanted under the skin in the retroauricular area on both sides of four guinea pigs. The implant pieces in the study and control sides were implanted in Streptococcus pneumoniae strain solution and saline, respectively. The right and left middle ears were also instilled with a solution containing pneumococci and saline, respectively. The animals were only given an intraperitoneal 'yd 47' twice daily for three months to be assessed later with electron microscopy. Clinical examination with palpation, inspection and otoscopy did not reveal any sign of implant infection or otitis media. In the study and control implant materials, soft tissues around the implant and tympanic membranes, there was no biofilm formation by pneumococci. Contamination by various cells and some rod-shaped bacteria (not diplococcic) were seen in some of the materials. In conclusion, the novel QSI seems promising in the prevention of otitis media and biofilm formation on CIs by pneumococci.

The objective was to asses the feasibility of the endoscopic technique for cochlear implant (CI) positioning avoiding mastoidectomy and to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the technique. The study design is a surgical procedure description and prospective case series report. From December 2011 to October 2012, six patients underwent endoscopic CI. All cases were selected based on CT and MRI studies. All surgical steps were analyzed; intra-and post-operative complications were noted. The length of time for each surgical procedure was recorded. The surgical procedure was described step by step focusing on the anatomy of the round window (RW) niche, analyzing the critical point during the dissection. The timing of the surgical procedures was 120 ± 21 (mean ± SD) min. In 1/6 patients, intra-operative injury of the chorda tympani occurred. In all cases, an endoscopic identification was performed and the anatomical details of the RW niche were noted. In 6/6 cases, a RW niche magnification was performed endoscopically. 5/6 cases showed a normal conformation of the RW. In 1/6 patients, obliteration of the RW niche was found. In 4/6 patients, an endoscopic cochleostomy through the RW was performed. In 1/6 patients, a difficult insertion of the array was observed. The current follow-up is 7.3 months (SD ± 3.7). No post-operative short- or long-term complications were noted in this series. Endoscopic CI is a safe and viable technique with a low rate of complications and with good outcomes.

Current paper presents a surgical technique and preliminary results of the first eight consecutive fully endoscopic transcanal stapedotomies. All eight procedures were performed under local anesthesia by the same surgeon using rigid endoscopes of 3-mm diameter, 14-cm length, 0° and 30°. A posterior tympanomeatal flap was elevated transmeatally with the 0° endoscope and then transposed anteriorly. Stapes fixation was confirmed, the stapes tendon was cut with curved micro-scissors, and the stapes was separated from the incus in the incudo-stapedial joint. The anterior and posterior stapedial crus were carefully fractured, and the superstructure was removed. The hole in the foot-plate was created with a Skeeter microdrill using a 0.5-mm-diameter diamond burr. A platinum/fluoroplastic piston prosthesis (0.4-mm diameter) was placed into this hole and fitted along the long process of the incus. The tympano-meatal flap was repositioned, and the external auditory canal was filled with Gelfoam(®). The chorda tympani nerve was preserved in all cases. A 4.5-mm prosthesis was used in six cases and a 4.75-mm prosthesis in two. Pure tone audiograms demonstrated improved air- and bone-conduction threshold averages across the three speech frequencies (0.5-1.2 kHz) 6 months after surgery (64 vs. 29.8 dB and 30.6 vs. 25.1 dB, respectively). The average postoperative air-bone gap was within 10 dB in six ears and between 10 and 15 dB in the other two ears. Our preliminary results indicate that transcanal fully endoscopic stapedotomy is a feasible and safe technique for surgical management of hearing loss associated with otosclerosis.

Pneumatic otoscopy is most helpful for optimally assessing the presence of a middle ear effusion (MEE). To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness and to obtain objective parameters of video pneumatic otoscope (VPO) in ears with MEE, we measured the minimal and maximal pressures in the external auditory canal and recorded the movement of the tympanic membrane (TM) during VPO in 28 ears with MEE and 13 healthy ears. The movements of the TM at static stage, positive and negative pressure stages of VPO were analyzed in terms of the position of the umbo and the angle and length of the malleus. The percent volume of air space out of the total tympanomastoid air cell system (the air index) was obtained from the temporal bone CT, and was used as a reference standard. As a result, minimal pressure and the movement of the umbo from negative pressure stage in ears with MEE were significantly different from the normal ears. The minimal pressure, maximal pressure and the movement of umbo from negative pressure to static stage were significantly correlated with the air index. These results may suggest useful parameters for quantitative analysis of VPO for the visual diagnosis of MEE.

We describe a male patient who presented a progressive conductive unilateral hearing loss 20 years after otosclerosis surgery. Computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings suggested a facial schwannoma in its tympanic segment. At the time of revision surgery, a facial schwannoma was found to originate at the tympanic segment, pushing the prosthesis out of the oval window fenestration. The Teflon-piston was repositioned with difficulties in the central platinotomy, and the facial schwannoma was left intact.