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Introduction In recent years, transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) has gained widespread recognition as an excellent surgical field for blind spots such as the sinus tympani (ST) when compared to microscopic ear surgery (MES). Objective To investigate the postoperative hearing results for pars tensa cholesteatoma and the indications for utilizing endoscopy. Methods The medical records of 16 patients (10 men and 6 women) with pars tensa cholesteatoma, who received initial surgical treatment between 2018 and 2022, were reviewed. We performed MES, TEES, or endoscopy-assisted MES (dual approach) depending on the pathological involvement in the mastoid cavity and ST. Results The mean age of the patients was 45 years, and the surgical techniques utilized were MES in 2 cases, TEES in 7 cases, and dual approach in 7 cases. The preoperative pathological classification was stage I in 3 patients and stage II in 13 patients. The overall surgical success rates of postoperative hearing outcomes were 69% and 50% (1/2 patients) in the TEES group, 71% (5/7 patients) in the MES group, and 71% (5/7 patients) in the dual approach group. The successful cases (n = 11) were significantly younger and demonstrated better mastoid pneumatization than unsuccessful cases (n = 5). Conclusion Endoscopy-assisted MES is appropriate for treating pars tensa cholesteatoma when pathological involvement is present at the deep bottom of the ST. Early surgical intervention and good eustachian tube function are crucial for improving hearing prognosis. Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery can be particularly useful in identifying and removing residual cholesteatoma within the ST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age‐related hearing impairment (ARHI) is commonly associated with decreased auditory temporal resolution caused by auditory neurodegeneration. Age‐related deterioration in gap detection ability, resulting in poor temporal auditory processing, is often attributed to pathophysiological changes in both the peripheral and central auditory systems. This study aimed to investigate whether the gap detection ability declines in the early stages of ageing and to determine its usefulness in detecting peripheral and central auditory degeneration. The study used 1‐month‐old (1 M), 6‐month‐old (6 M) and 12‐month‐old (12 M) mice to examine changes in gap detection ability and associated auditory pathophysiology. Although hearing thresholds did not significantly differ between the groups, the amplitude of auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave I decreased significantly in an age‐dependent manner, consistent with age‐related cochlear synaptopathy. The relative ABR amplitude ratio of waves 2 and 5 to wave 1 was significantly increased in 12 M mice, indicating that the central auditory system had increased in relative neuroactivity. A significant increase in gap detection thresholds was observed in 12 M mice compared to 1 M mice. Although cochlear synaptopathy and central hyperactivity were positively correlated with gap detection thresholds, central hyperactivity strongly influenced gap detection ability. In the cochlear nucleus and auditory cortex, the inhibitory synaptic expression of GAD65 and the expression of parvalbumin were significantly decreased in 12 M mice, consistent with central hyperactivity. Evaluating gap detection performance may allow the identification of decreased auditory temporal resolution in the early stages of ARHI, which is strongly associated with auditory neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast exposure causes serious complications, the most common of which are ear-related symptoms such as hearing loss and tinnitus. The blast shock waves can cause neurodegeneration of the auditory pathway in the brainstem, as well as the cochlea, which is the primary receptor for hearing, leading to blast-induced tinnitus. However, it is still unclear which lesion is more dominant in triggering tinnitus, the peripheral cochlea or the brainstem lesion owing to the complex pathophysiology and the difficulty in objectively measuring tinnitus. Recently, gap detection tests have been developed and are potentially well-suited for determining the presence of tinnitus. In this study, we investigated whether the peripheral cochlea or the central nervous system has a dominant effect on the generation of tinnitus using a blast-exposed mouse model with or without earplugs, which prevent cochlear damage from a blast transmitted via the external auditory canal. The results showed that the earplug (+) group, in which the cochlea was neither physiologically nor histologically damaged, showed a similar extent of tinnitus behavior in a gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle reflex test as the earplug (-) group, in which the explosion caused a cochlear synaptic loss in the inner hair cells and demyelination of auditory neurons. In contrast, both excitatory synapses labeled with VGLUT-1 and inhibitory synapses labeled with GAD65 were reduced in the ventral cochlear nucleus, and demyelination in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body was observed in both groups. These disruptions significantly correlated with the presence of tinnitus behavior regardless of cochlear damage. These results indicate that the lesion in the brainstem could be dominant to the cochlear lesion in the development of tinnitus following blast exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Statins have been reported to improve vascular endothelial function and microcirculation, reduce oxidative stress, and exert anti‐inflammatory and protective effects against inner ear damage. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of statins on hearing prognosis in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 149 patients diagnosed with ISSNHL. Clinical characteristics, hearing thresholds, statin medications, and hematological findings were investigated. First, patients with ISSNHL were assigned to the good and poor outcome groups, and factors influencing their prognosis were analyzed. Furthermore, patients with dyslipidemia were investigated to determine whether statins have therapeutic effects on ISSNHL. Results: Significant differences in age (p =.011), days from the onset of ISSNHL to the initiation of treatment (p =.04), and hematological total cholesterol (TC; p =.015) between the good and poor outcome groups were observed. Furthermore, when hearing outcomes were investigated in patients with dyslipidemia, TC was significantly lower in the good outcome group (p =.03). Although no significant therapeutic effects of statins were observed in participants with dyslipidemia, patients in the statin‐treated group were significantly older and experienced more diabetic complications than those in the non‐statin‐treated group. Conclusion: Although our study showed that dyslipidemia is a poor prognostic factor for ISSNHL, statins had no significant therapeutic effects on hearing recovery in ISSNHL patients with dyslipidemia. The patients that received statin medications were significantly older and experienced more diabetic complications, which may have affected their hearing prognosis. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) can have a profound impact on quality of life, and its etiology is unknown. Although our study indicated dyslipidemia to be a poor prognostic factor for ISSNHL, any significant therapeutic effects of statins regarding to hearing recovery were not observed in ISSNHL participants with dyslipidemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To reveal the factors affecting the incidence of chorda tympani nerve (CTN) transection during middle ear surgery. Study Design: Retrospective case review. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Patients We analyzed 232 ears (117 ears with cholesteatoma, 101 ears with chronic otitis media, and 14 ears with otosclerosis) that underwent tympanoplasty or stapes surgery during 2017–2020. Intervention: Eighty‐four ears underwent transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES), 103 ears underwent microscopic ear surgery (MES), and 45 ears underwent surgery using both endoscopy and microscopy (Dual). Main Outcome Measure: To confirm CTN transection, intraoperative endoscopic/microscopic video images were evaluated. We used the same video images to determine the anatomical variation of the CTN course in the middle ear. Results: In 18 ears (7.8%: 6/84 TEES ears [7.1%], 6/103 MES ears [5.8%], and 6/45 Dual ears [13.3%]), the CTN was cut during middle ear surgery. There was no significant difference in CTN transection among groups. In cholesteatoma patients, stapes involvement resulted in a significantly higher CTN transection incidence. CTN anatomical variants such as the "Attached Short type" and "Ultrashort type" showed a significantly higher CTN transection incidence. Conclusion: Although endoscopic surgery did not reduce the incidence of CTN transection during middle ear surgery, pathological involvement of the stapes and CTN anatomical variants, such as the "Attached Short type" and "Ultrashort type," may increase this incidence. Preoperative evaluation of stapes involvement and anatomical location of the CTN course could help identify patients at greater risk for iatrogenic CTN transection. Level of Evidence: 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The prognosis of Bell's palsy, idiopathic facial nerve palsy (FNP), is usually predicted by electroneuronography in subacute phase. However, it would be ideal to establish a reliable and objective examination applicable in acute phase to predict the prognosis of FNP. Immune-nutritional status (INS) calculated from peripheral blood examination is recently reported as the prognostic factor in various disease. However, the validity of INS as the prognostic factor in Bell's palsy is not well known. Thus, we conducted a retrospective study to investigate the usefulness of INS as prognostic predictors of Bell's palsy. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 79 patients with Bell's palsy and divided into two groups as "complete recovery" and "incomplete recovery" groups. Clinical features such as severity of FNP and INS, including neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and controlling nutrition status (CONUT) score, were assessed. Results: In univariate analysis, statistically significant differences were observed in clinical score of facial movement, NLR, LMR, PNI, and CONUT score at the initial examination between the two groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, in multivariate analysis, statistically significant differences were also observed in facial movement score and PNI at the initial examination (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Immune and nutritional condition play important roles in the pathogenesis of Bell's palsy, suggesting that INS would be one of the useful prognostic factors in Bell's palsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The auditory organs, including the tympanic membrane, cochlea, and central auditory pathway, are the most fragile components of the human body when exposed to blast overpressure. Tympanic membrane perforation (TMP) is the most frequent symptom in blast-exposed patients. The impact of TMP on the inner ear and central auditory system, however, is not fully understood. We aimed to analyze the effect of blast-induced TMP on the auditory pathophysiological changes in mice after blast exposure. Mice aged seven weeks were exposed to blast overpressure to induce TMP and allowed to survive for two months. All TMP cases had spontaneously healed by week three after the blast exposure. Compared with controls, blast-exposed mice exhibited a significant elevation in hearing thresholds and an apparent disruption of stereocilia in the outer hair cells, regardless of the occurrence or absence of TMP. The reduction in synapses in the inner hair cells, which is known as the most frequent pathology in blast-exposed cochleae, was significantly more severe in mice without TMP. A decrease in the number of excitatory central synapses labeled by VGLUT-1 in the cochlear nucleus was observed, however, regardless of the absence or presence of TMP. Our findings suggest that blast-induced TMP mitigates peripheral cochlear synaptic disruption but leaves the central auditory synapses unaffected, indicating that central synaptic disruption is independent of TMP and peripheral cochlear synaptic disruption. Synaptic deterioration in the peripheral and central auditory systems can contribute to the promotion of blast-induced hearing impairment, including abnormal auditory perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) tend to experience hearing loss, including idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL). However, little is known about the relationship between HD and ISSHL. Objective: To investigate the effects of HD on the hearing level and the treatment prognosis of ISSHL. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 23 patients with ISSHL receiving HD treatment (HD group) and 101 patients with ISSHL not receiving HD treatment (non‐HD group), and assessed clinical features, results of audiometric tests and blood examination results. Results: Statistically significant differences were not observed in pretreatment hearing level and hearing recovery of the ear affected with ISSHL between the two groups (P >.05). Conversely, hearing thresholds in the unaffected ear were statistically different (P <.0001), and the hearing thresholds of the HD groups were significantly increased compared with those of the non‐HD groups, especially at high frequency. In addition, patients with renal dysfunction not receiving HD treatment showed similar hearing thresholds in the unaffected ear when compared with patients receiving HD treatment. Conclusion: HD itself did not influence the treatment prognosis of ISSHL. Renal dysfunction itself, and not HD treatment, worsened the hearing level. As similar treatment results are expected, standard treatment should be administered to patients undergoing HD. Level of Evidence: 3b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracheal stenosis is a refractory and recurrent disease induced by excessive cell proliferation within the restricted tracheal space. We investigated the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), which mediates a broad range of intracellular signal transduction processes in tracheal stenosis and the therapeutic effect of the MEK inhibitor which is the upstream kinase of ERK. We histologically analyzed cauterized tracheas to evaluate stenosis using a tracheal stenosis mouse model. Using Western blot, we analyzed the phosphorylation rate of ERK1/2 after cauterization with or without MEK inhibitor. MEK inhibitor was intraperitoneally injected 30 min prior to cauterization (single treatment) or 30 min prior to and 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after cauterization (daily treatment). We compared the stenosis of non-inhibitor treatment, single treatment, and daily treatment group. We successfully established a novel mouse model of tracheal stenosis. The cauterized trachea increased the rate of stenosis compared with the normal control trachea. The phosphorylation rate of ERK1 and ERK2 was significantly increased at 5 min after the cauterization compared with the normal controls. After 5 min, the rates decreased over time. The daily treatment group had suppressed stenosis compared with the non-inhibitor treatment group. p-ERK1/2 activation after cauterization could play an important role in the tracheal wound healing process. Consecutive inhibition of ERK phosphorylation is a potentially useful therapeutic strategy for tracheal stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the difference in maximum speech discrimination score (SDSmax) of the worse-hearing ear in asymmetric hearing loss (ASHL) patients with that in symmetric hearing loss (SHL) patients. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with suspected hearing loss (HL) who underwent audiometric examinations. Patients were divided into two groups according to the difference in air conduction (AC) threshold between the right and left ears: the SHL group and the ASHL group. Of the 102 patients (204 ears), 74 (148 ears) had SHL, and 28 had ASHL. The worse-hearing ear of ASHL patients exhibited a statistically significantly higher AC threshold and lower SDSmax, compared with ears of SHL patients and better-hearing ears of ASHL patients, and SDSmax exhibited a statistically significant negative correlation with AC threshold. The SDSmax was statistically significantly lower in the worse-hearing ear of the ASHL group than in moderate to severe HL ears of the SHL group, even though these groups had comparable AC thresholds. ASHL patients' worse-hearing ear exhibited a lower SDSmax than SHL patients' ears, despite a comparable AC threshold. Management of hearing impairment in ASHL patients should receive more attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some studies have directly compared the National Acoustic Laboratories' prescription for non-linear hearing aids (HAs) version 2 (NAL-NL2) and Desired Sensation Level for non-linear HAs version 5 (DSLv5), although none were performed in Japan. As the Japanese language is a tonal language that has different linguistic characteristics than those of the studied languages, we compared the outcomes of the NAL-NL2 and DSLv5 in hearing-impaired Japanese participants. A crossover-controlled trial was conducted on 18 first-time HA users with bilateral moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Participants wore HAs adjusted with each prescriptive method for four weeks. The prescriptions were assessed using speech discrimination testing and the abbreviated profile of hearing aid benefit (APHAB). Consequently, participants were asked to select their preferred prescription and determine which was better for "listening to a conversation" and when "noisy." The mean DSLv5 real ear insertion gain for an input level of 65 dB sound pressure level (SPL) was higher than that of the NAL-NL2 at 250 and 500 Hz. The average speech discrimination score was 78 ± 14% at a 65-dB SPL and 75 ± 17% at an 80-dB SPL for the NAL-NL2, and 79 ± 11% at a 65-dB SPL and 77 ± 17% at an 80-dB SPL for the DSLv5. These differences were not significant. No significant differences were observed in APHAB subscale scores between the two prescription methods. Ultimately, 11 (61%) and 7 (39%) participants preferred the NAL-NL2 and DSLv5, respectively, with no significant differences. Although the gain of the NAL-NL2 is smaller than that of the DSLv5, both had the same hearing effect. Therefore, the NAL-NL2 may be more useful than the DSLv5 in Japanese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The introduction of minimally invasive surgical procedures using sialendoscopy has significantly reduced the rate of major salivary gland removal due to sialolithiasis. The present study assessed the utility of sialendoscopy and identified potential factors influencing successful sialendoscopic salivary stone retrieval. Methods Medical records of sialendoscopic procedures performed at the Department of Otolaryngology of the National Defense Medical College in Japan from November 2007 to January 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. We identified 78 patients diagnosed with sialolithiasis and treated with sialendoscopy (SE). Factors analyzed included stone location, size, symptom duration, surgical methods, and complications. Results The mean age at presentation was 41 years (range, 11–76 years) with a male-to-female gender ratio of 1:1.89. In total, 73 submandibular and 5 parotid endoscopies were performed. Stone size ranged from 2 to 20 mm in diameter. Submandibular stones were removed either by SE alone (9.6%), by transoral stone removal (19.2%), or a combined approach (57.5%). Only 13.7% (10/73) of the cases required submandibular gland removal. Stone size and shape were significant predictors for successful endoscopic stone removal, and stone size and location were significant predictors for submandibular gland removal. Conclusion Sialendoscopy is a reasonable, minimally invasive treatment option for sialolithiasis that avoids salivary gland removal. The present results indicate that sialendoscopy is the first treatment of choice for submandibular gland sialolithiasis. Complete surgical excision is becoming uncommon as a first-line treatment, but it remains indispensable in certain cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auditory nerve fibers synapse onto the cochlear nucleus (CN) and are labeled using the vesicular glutamate transporter-1 (VGLUT-1), whereas non-auditory inputs are labeled using the VGLUT-2. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism of VGLUT expression in the CN remains unknown. We examined whether a sound level decrease, without primary neural damage, induces cellular and VGLUT expression change in the CN, and examined the potential for neural plasticity of the CN using unilateral conductive hearing loss models. We inserted earplugs in 8-week-old mice unilaterally for 4 weeks and subsequently removed them for another 4 weeks. Although the threshold of an auditory brainstem response significantly increased across all tested frequencies following earplug insertion, it completely recovered after earplug removal. Auditory deprivation had no significant impact on spiral ganglion and ventral CN (VCN) neurons' survival. Conversely, although the cell size and VGLUT-1 expression in the VCN significantly decreased after earplug insertion, VGLUT-2 expression in the granule cell lamina significantly increased. These cell sizes decreased and the alterations in VGLUT-1 and -2 expression almost completely recovered at 1 month after earplug removal. Our results suggested that the cell size and VGLUT expression in the CN have a neuroplasticity capacity, which is regulated by increases and decreases in sound levels. Restoration of the sound levels might partly prevent cell size decrease and maintain VGLUT expression in the CN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We used real-ear insertion gain (REIG), with the international speech test signal (ISTS), to evaluate the amplifying characteristics of hearing aids, set for patients who have been wearing such aids for a long time in a stable manner. We further compared this to the target values of the DSLv5 and NAL-NL2 methods.Methods: The subjects were adults with moderate sensorineural hearing loss. We examined 40 ears in 25 individuals (15 people wearing hearing aids in both ears and ten people wearing aid in only one ear). Fit assessments were performed based on the speech performance-intensity functions and tolerance of environmental noise, and the ears studied were categorized as either ears with sufficient benefit or ears with insufficient benefit. Additionally, we evaluated the REIG for international speech test signals at 65-dB and 80-dB sound pressure level (SPL). We compared the REIG and target values for voice input at 65-dB and 80-dB SPL, calculated from the DSLv5 and NAL-NL2 methods.Results: Among the 40 ears, 34 received sufficient benefit and six received an insufficient benefit from hearing aids. The REIG for ISTS at 65-dB in the sufficient benefit ears, at frequencies of 1,000 Hz and 2,000 Hz, were similar to the target values of NAL-NL2 and DSLv5 but were significantly lower at 250 Hz, 500 Hz, and 4,000 Hz frequencies. The compression ratio of REIG for sufficient benefit ears was similar to that of DSLv5. The REIG for ISTS at 65-dB in the insufficient benefit ears was smaller than that in the sufficient benefit ears at frequencies of 2,000 Hz and 4,000 Hz.Conclusion: This study suggested that the target values of NAL-NL2 and DSLv5 are appropriate, even for Japanese-speaking individuals, at mid-pitch sounds. Although it is necessary to investigate the necessity for low-pitch and high-pitch gains further in the future, this study provides meaningful data regarding the amplifying characteristics in Japanese-speaking individuals who have been wearing hearing aids in a stable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hair cells in the mature cochlea cannot spontaneously regenerate. One potential approach for restoring hair cells is stem cell therapy. However, when cells are transplanted into scala media (SM) of the cochlea, they promptly die due to the high potassium concentration. We previously described a method for conditioning the SM to make it more hospitable to implanted cells and showed that HeLa cells could survive for up to a week using this method. Here, we evaluated the survival of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) constitutively expressing GFP (H9 Cre-LoxP) in deaf guinea pig cochleae that were pre-conditioned to reduce potassium levels. GFP-positive cells could be detected in the cochlea for at least 7 days after the injection. The cells appeared spherical or irregularly shaped, and some were aggregated. Flushing SM with sodium caprate prior to transplantation resulted in a lower proportion of stem cells expressing the pluripotency marker Oct3/4 and increased cell survival. The data demonstrate that conditioning procedures aimed at transiently reducing the concentration of potassium in the SM facilitate survival of hESCs for at least one week. During this time window, additional procedures can be applied to initiate the differentiation of the implanted hESCs into new hair cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is a member of the family of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and coordinately regulates a multitude of cellular processes. In response to a variety of extracellular stimuli, phosphorylation of both threonine and tyrosine residues activates ERK. Recent evidence indicates that ERK is activated in response to cellular stress such as acoustic trauma. However, the specific role of ERK isoforms in auditory function is not fully understood. Here, we show that the isoform ERK2 plays an important role in regulating hair cell (HC) survival and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in mice (C57BL/6J). We found that conditional knockout mice deficient for Erk2 in the inner ear HCs had hearing comparable to control mice and exhibited no HC loss under normal conditions. However, we found that these knockout mice were more vulnerable to noise and had blunted recovery from NIHL compared to control mice. Furthermore, we observed a significantly lower survival rate of inner hair cells in these mice compared to control mice. Our results indicate that ERK2 plays important roles in the survival of HC in NIHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Ototoxic damage caused by aminoglycosides (AG) leads to the loss of cochlear hair cells (HCs). In mammals, mature cochlear HCs are unable to regenerate, and their loss results in permanent hearing deficits. Our objective was to protect the inner ear from damage after an AG challenge. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), one of the earliest events in the process of AG ototoxicity, is considered to play a key role in the initiation of HC death. We examined whether Hangesha-shin-to (TJ-014), a traditional Japanese Kampo medicine considered to be a potent antioxidant, protects HCs from gentamicin (GM)-induced damage.Methods: Organ of Corti explants removed from postnatal day 3-5 rats were maintained in tissue culture and exposed to 50μM GM for up to 48h. The effects of TJ-014 on GM-induced ototoxicity were assessed by HC counts and immunohistochemistry against cleaved caspase-3, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and a probe reacting to mitochondrial function changes.Results: TJ-014 treatments significantly reduced GM-induced HC loss and immunoreactivities for cleaved caspase-3 and 8-OHdG; these effects were correlated with increasing TJ-014 concentrations. Moreover, TJ-014 protected the mitochondrial membrane potential from GM ototoxicity.Conclusion: These findings indicate the potential of TJ-014 to prevent GM-induced cochlear damage involving ROS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiresorptive drugs have been widely used to treat patients with hypercalcemia caused by malignancy, bone metastasis, multiple myeloma, and osteoporosis. However, it is well known that antiresorptive drugs can cause osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). Herein, we report a rare case of nasal septal abscess caused by medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in a breast cancer patient. A 69-year-old woman was referred to our clinic for evaluation of nasal obstruction. Physical examination revealed a cherry-like swelling of the nasal mucosa emanating from the septum that obstructed both nasal cavities and a fistulous tract showing pus discharge after extraction of the bilateral maxillary central incisors (MCI) and the right maxillary lateral incisor (MLI). Computed tomography and panoramic radiography revealed extensive osteonecrosis of the maxilla and swelling of the nasal mucosa. The clinical diagnosis was nasal septal abscess caused by osteonecrosis of the maxilla. Surgical procedure was undertaken for this case. An indwelling drain was placed in the oral cavity, and sequestrectomy was performed with incision and drainage of the anterior portion of left nasal septum. The patient was doing well at the 7-month follow-up. The patient had a medical history of breast cancer with bone, lung, liver metastases, and had received intravenous bisphosphonate, which is one of the antiresorptive medicines, over the past 4 years. We suspect that this history played an important role in MRONJ induced nasal septal abscess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

McCune-Albright syndrome is a disorder of fibrous bone dysplasia complicated by skin pigmentation and endocrine abnormalities. Although temporal bone lesions are rare, surgical treatment is required when external auditory canal (EAC) stenosis develops. However, no consensus has been reached regarding surgical approaches. To safely perform surgery for temporal bone malformations, knowing the exact location of the critical organs in the temporal bone in relation to the bony lesion is important. Otherwise, intraoperative orientation may be lost owing to differences from the normal anatomy. Although image-guided surgery systems (IGSSs) would be useful in surgery for temporal bone malformations, few studies have reported on the use of IGSS in temporal bone surgery. In this report, we describe a case of McCune-Albright syndrome with EAC stenosis that was safely treated using IGSS-assisted temporal bone surgery.

The ear is the organ most susceptible to explosion overpressure, and cochlear injuries frequently occur after blast exposure. Blast exposure can lead to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which is an irreversible hearing loss that negatively affects the quality of life. Detailed blast-induced cochlear pathologies, such as the loss of hair cells, spiral ganglion neurons, cochlear synapses, and disruption of stereocilia, have been previously documented. However, determining cochlear sensorineural deterioration after a blast injury is challenging because animals exposed to blast overpressure usually experience tympanic membrane perforation (TMP), which causes concurrent conductive hearing loss. To evaluate pure sensorineural cochlear dysfunction, we developed an experimental animal model of blast-induced cochlear injury using a laser-induced shock wave. This method avoids TMP and concomitant systemic injuries and reproduces the functional decline in the SNHL component in an energy-dependent manner after LISW exposure. This animal model could be a platform for elucidating the pathological mechanisms and exploring potential treatments for blast-induced cochlear dysfunction.

Introduction: Some idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) cases experience repetitive systemic corticosteroid treatment, but studies focusing on repetitive systemic corticosteroid administration have not been reported. Thus, we investigated the clinical characteristics and usefulness of repetitive systemic corticosteroid treatment in ISSHL cases., Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 103 patients who received corticosteroids only in our hospital (single-treatment group), and 46 patients who presented at our hospital after receiving corticosteroids in a nearby clinic and were subsequently treated with corticosteroids again in our hospital (repetitive-treatment group). Clinical backgrounds, hearing thresholds, and hearing prognosis were assessed., Results: The final hearing outcomes were not different between the two groups. Further, in the repetitive-treatment group, statistical differences were found between the good and poor prognosis groups in the number of days to start corticosteroid administration ( p = 0.03), the dose of corticosteroid ( p = 0.02), and the duration of corticosteroid administration ( p = 0.02) at the previous facility. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant difference in the dose of corticosteroids administered by the previous clinic ( p = 0.004)., Conclusion: The repetitive systemic corticosteroid administration might play a supplementary role in hearing improvement, and initial sufficient corticosteroid administration would lead to good hearing outcomes in an early phase of ISSHL., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Yamamoto, Kurioka, Ohki, Sano and Yamashita.)

Background: Few investigations have been conducted on the clinical characteristics of the differential diagnosis of acoustic neuroma with acute sensorineural hearing loss and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of the differential diagnoses between acoustic neuroma and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss., Methods: The medical records of patients with acute sensorineural hearing loss (142 ears), including acoustic neuroma (19 ears) and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (123 ears), who underwent audiometric and hematologic examinations and received systemic corticosteroid treatment, were retrospectively reviewed., Results: Hematological examination revealed that the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and fibrinogen values were significantly higher in the idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss group compared to the acoustic neuroma group. Although all patients received corticosteroid treatment, hearing thresholds at the initial examination and 3 months after corticosteroid treatment were significantly higher in the idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss group compared to the acoustic neuroma group at all frequencies. However, hearing recovery was worse in the acoustic neuroma group compared to the idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss group. Furthermore, speech discrimination and short increment sensitivity index tests were not significantly different between the acoustic neuroma and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss groups., Conclusion: This is the first study to reveal that speech discrimination and short increment sensitivity index tests are not useful for the differential diagnoses between acoustic neuroma and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss, whereas erythrocyte sedimentation rate and fibrinogen, blood biomarkers of inflammation and blood viscosity, would be considered valuable. Furthermore, acoustic neuroma should be considered in cases where acute sensorineural hearing loss did not recover after corticosteroid treatment, although the initial hearing loss was mild.

Background: In idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), the relationship between the administration duration of vitamin B12 (vit B12) with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and their therapeutic effect is not fully understood., Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of long-term 16 (≥weeks) administration of vit B12 with ATP on the prognosis of ISSNHL patients and compare it with those of short-term (<8 weeks) and middle-term (≥8 weeks, <16 weeks) administration., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 117 patients with ISSNHL treated between 2015 and 2018., Results: The overall recovery rate was 32.5%. Initial higher hearing threshold and initial higher grade of hearing loss (HL) were associated with a poor prognosis. However, the administration duration of vit B12 and ATP did not influence the overall hearing improvement. With regard to the time course of hearing recovery, there was no significant difference in hearing recovery among the long-, middle-, and short-term administration groups until 16 weeks after treatment. However, at 16-24 weeks after initial treatment, the short-term administration group exhibited significantly lower hearing recovery than did the long-term administration groups., Conclusions: The administration duration of vit B12 and ATP did not influence the overall hearing prognosis in ISSNHL, but long-term administration of vit B12 and ATP helped prevent the progression of HL after ISSNHL. Our results suggest that long-term administration of vit B12 and ATP is not necessarily required to treat ISSNHL patients, except for slowly progressing HL in the affected ears., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2020 Kurioka et al.)

Objectives: Effects of decreasing auditory activity on speech discrimination ability are not fully understood. To investigate influence of decrease in auditory activity due to conductive and sensorineural components of hearing loss (HL) on speech discrimination ability., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with suspected HL at Kitasato University Hospital in 2017 and 2018. Patients were divided according to pure-tone audiometry findings: no HL (N-HL), conductive HL (C-HL), sensorineural HL (S-HL), and mixed HL (M-HL) groups., Results: In total, 149 patients (224 ears) were eligible. The maximum speech discrimination score (SDSmax) for all ears significantly negatively correlated with age (r = -0.29, p<0.0001) and bone conduction (BC) threshold (r = -0.55, p<0.0001). For patients aged <50 years in N-HL and C-HL groups, SDSmax was nearly 100%, with no significant difference. SDSmax was significantly lower for older patients (≥50 years) in the M-HL group than in the S-HL group, even though there were no significant differences in age and BC thresholds between groups., Conclusion: Decrease of auditory activity due to the conductive component of M-HL may worsen speech discrimination ability. Early treatment of M-HL would be desirable for the preservation of auditory function.

Recently, the number of blast injuries of the inner ear has increased in the general population. In blast-induced inner ear injury, a shock wave (SW) component in the blast wave is considered to play an important role in sensorineural hearing loss. However, the mechanisms by which an SW affects inner ear tissue remain largely unknown. We aimed to establish a new animal model for SW-induced inner ear injury by using laser-induced SWs (LISWs) on rats. The LISWs were generated by irradiating an elastic laser target with 694-nm nanosecond pulses of a ruby laser. After LISW application to the cochlea through bone conduction, auditory measurements revealed the presence of inner ear dysfunction, the extent of which depended on LISW overpressure. A significantly lower survival rate of hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons, as well as severe oxidative damage, were observed in the inner ear exposed to an LISW. Although considerable differences in the pressure characteristics exist between LISWs and SWs in real blast waves, the functional and morphological changes shown by the present LISW-based model were similar to those observed in real blast-induced injury. Thus, our animal model is expected to be useful for laboratory-based research of blast-induced inner ear injury.