Our findings provide evidence to develop clinical guidelines that accelerate diagnosis and treatment of MOE to improve patient outcomes.

1b.

We demonstrated hearing improvement after lateral semicircular canal fenestration. This technique can be considered as an alternative for patients with middle ear anomalies who are not candidates for ossicular reconstruction.

Presence of the C allele was significantly associated with tumor stage and size; therefore, survivin might be an important marker in the prognosis of tongue SCC that requires further investigation.

Several studies have shown the correlation between RANTES gene and inflammatory disorders; the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between RANTES promoter gene polymorphism and Meniere's disease (MD) in an Iranian population. In this study patients with MD comprising definite MD (N = 56) and probable MD (N = 15) were selected according to diagnostic criteria of AAO-HNS. The control group (N = 101) were healthy normal subjects who did not have a history of ear disease and vertigo. PCR-RFLP for RANTES -403G>A has been performed. We found a protective role for RANTES -403A allele in male group in our population. None of the male patients with MD were carrier of allele A which was significantly different from the presence of allele A in the male control group (AA+GA vs. GG: p = 0.0004, OR 0.05, 95 % CI 0.001-0.39). This difference was not significant in female group. There was no significant association between RANTES gene polymorphism and the level of hearing loss. our results showed a sex-specific association between RANTES gene polymorphism and MD but more studies are necessary to further assess this association.

This study investigate the effect of stapes surgery on bone conduction (BC) improvement in otosclerotic patients with mixed hearing loss and also compare the effect of three different types of surgery (complete stapedectomy, partial stapedectomy and microfenestration stapedotomy) on this improvement. We retrospectively reviewed surgical database of 84 otosclerotic patients with mixed hearing loss. Sixty-two patients (75%) had significant improvement in BC after surgery (P = 0.03). In 85% of patients with follow-up time longer than 1 year, this improvement had remained. Improvement in BC after surgery was better in partial stapedectomy group (82.6%) and complete stapedectomy group (80.8%) in comparison with microfenestration stapedotomy group (63%) (P = 0.052).

In the October issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ashtiani et al 1 published an interesting article on their experience with the classic fenestration of the lateral semicircular canal (LSCC) in cases of congenital conductive hearing loss. The classic fenestration procedure was invented in 1922 by Holmgren (Sweden), introduced in the United States by Sourdille (France) in 1937, and popularized by Lempert (United States) in 1938. In 1948, Holmgren 2 stated, "The improvement in hearing is far from always permanent. In a large number of cases it regresses after a short or long period, and then usually returns to the pre-operative condition." According to Jones, 3 the greatest failure was a bony regrowth that closes the artificial window. No method has been devised that ensures against closure. Any surgeon reporting according to accepted standards who attains a 60% hearing improvement by his surgery may assure himself that he is getting excellent results. 3 The closure of the fenestration fistula was the important issue in the high times of the fenestration era. Lempert invented the Nov-ovalis approach with later the cartilage "stopple" 4 to attack with moderate success the problem of reclosure of the LSCC fenestration.The application of the fenestration of the LSCC for congenital conductive hearing loss is far from new as a solution for the mentioned dilemma. Ombredanne from Paris 5 described in 1947 the fenestration of LSSC for congenital conductive hearing loss, and later in the 1960s, he reported more than 600 cases. In the 1950s, reports appear also on the experience with the fenestration in congenital conducting hearing loss. Unfortunately, the authors were unable to present this information in the recent article.Essential for the Lempert fenestration is the removal of the incus and the malleus head. It is not clear from the present article if this procedure has been followed. The color pictures do not solve this dilemma. It is surprising in this article that in the follow-up, there is no case of chronic otorrhea or at last closure of the fenestration after the surgery. The hearing results are extraordinarily positive when we compare the results with the data described by the masters of the fenestration of LSSC after 25 years of experience with this type of ear surgery in congenital conductive hearing loss. It might be possible that not performing a partial ossiculectomy is the reason for the good results in this study.