A large single-institution study of recurrence in BPPV is presented along with Kaplan-Meier disease-free survival curves. Female sex and history of previous BPPV were associated with increased recurrence, while previously suspected risk factors for recurrence including history of Menière's disease, diabetes, and trauma were not. Remote recurrence is more likely to involve the contralateral ear than early recurrence. These data solidify the expected course of treated BPPV allowing for improved clinical care and patient counseling.

With a median mean cochlear dose of 2.7 Gy, the majority of patients with serviceable hearing retained serviceable hearing 3 years after GKS. A mean cochlear dose less than 3 Gy was associated with higher serviceable hearing preservation.

The Ménière's Disease Outcomes Questionnaire is a new disease-specific quality-of-life tool that is a valid measure of quality of life in patients with Ménière's disease, and is responsive to measuring change in quality of life after treatment. Significant improvement in quality of life was reported by 87% of patients after endolymphatic sac decompression.

Intratympanic gentamicin diffuses rapidly through the round window membrane and achieves significant levels in the inner ear. Thus, this new model can be used to assess round window permeability to clinically relevant medications such as steroids and ototopical antibiotics.

Contrary to standard teaching, many patients with bilateral vestibular loss clearly deny oscillopsia or imbalance in darkness. In an attempt to characterize these patients within the larger population of all patients with bilateral vestibular loss, the rotation and posturography test results of 22 patients with bilateral vestibular loss were reviewed. In addition, dynamic visual acuity was assessed with an eye chart test. There was a poor relationship between oscillopsia and dynamic visual acuity or rotation testing. There were three patterns of response on rotation testing, and loss of high-frequency gain was seen in as many patients who reported oscillopsia as did not. There were some patients with normal gain values at all frequencies tested who reported oscillopsia. It may be that the change in the VOR, rather than the absolute VOR loss, is responsible for the production of oscillopsia. On the basis of this and other studies, treatment strategies for patients with bilateral vestibular loss are suggested.

In the nerve roots of vertebrates, the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) interface at the PNS-CNS transitional zone (PCTZ), which consists of cell boundaries with various myelin components. We have recently shown that the mouse cochlear nerve presents an exceptionally long segment of the CNS tissue extending into the PNS using light microscopy. However, it is unclear how oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells contribute to the formation of myelin components of the PCTZ. It is undetermined how myelination is initiated along the cochlear nerve, and when it adopts a mature pattern. In this study, immunofluorescence using antibodies specific to oligodendrocyte marker myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) and Schwann cell marker myelin protein zero (MPZ) were used to detail the expression of myelin components along the postnatal mouse cochlear nerve. We found that the expression of MPZ was initially observed in the soma of bipolar spiral ganglion neurons at postnatal day 0 (P0) and progressed to the central and peripheral processes after P8–P10. Myelination of the CNS tissue was initiated in close proximity to the PCTZ from P7 to P8 and then extended centrally. Myelination of the PCTZ reached a mature style at P14, when the interface of the expression of MOG and MPZ was clearly identified along the cochlear nerve. This knowledge of PCTZ formation of the cochlear nerve will be essential to future myelination research, and it will also gain clinical interest because of its relevance to the degeneration and regeneration of the auditory pathway in hearing impairment.

Aural foreign bodies considerably affect health care expenditures; over 250,000 ED visits over a 5-year span were noted. Age- and gender-specific patterns reported in this analysis can serve as a valuable adjunct for history taking and clinical examination. Jewelry products predominated among children, while cotton swab/first aid products, hearing aids, and other ear-specific accessories significantly affected adults. Although children were most commonly affected, these findings highlight the need for sustained education and prevention strategies among all age groups.

AlloDerm appeared to be an ideal substitute for grafting of the TM. It was equally effective as fascia. Clinical trials in human beings appear warranted. Potential health care savings are discussed.