Overall, the quality of large scale and/or prospective studies reporting the incidence of complications after osseointegrated hearing aid surgery is poor and lacks uniformity. However, based on available data, which shows a lack of major complications, osseointegrated implantation is a safe procedure in both adult and pediatric populations. Well-designed, prospective studies with uniform reporting standards would allow greater comparison between techniques and more reliable analysis of complications of osseointegration surgery of the temporal bone for cochlear stimulation.

Spatial and nonspatial auditory processing is hypothesized to occur in parallel dorsal and ventral pathways, respectively. In this study, we tested the spatial and nonspatial sensitivity of auditory neurons in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vPFC), a cortical area in the hypothetical nonspatial pathway. We found that vPFC neurons were modulated significantly by both the spatial and nonspatial attributes of an auditory stimulus. When comparing these responses with those in anterolateral belt region of the auditory cortex, which is hypothesized to be specialized for processing the nonspatial attributes of auditory stimuli, we found that the nonspatial sensitivity of vPFC neurons was poorer, whereas the spatial selectivity was better than anterolateral neurons. Also, the spatial and nonspatial sensitivity of vPFC neurons was comparable with that seen in the lateral intraparietal area, a cortical area that is a part of the dorsal pathway. These data suggest that substantial spatial and nonspatial processing occurs in both the dorsal and ventral pathways.

Object Pituitary stalk hemangioblastomas are rare, and information on them is limited to a small number of case reports. To gain insight into the incidence, clinical effects, and management of pituitary stalk hemangioblastomas, the authors analyzed a series of patients with von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease. Methods Patients with VHL disease who were enrolled in a prospective National Institutes of Health natural history study were included. Clinical, imaging, and laboratory findings were analyzed. Results Two hundred fifty patients were included in the study (120 male and 130 female patients). In 8 patients (3%), 8 pituitary stalk hemangioblastomas were identified on MR imaging. This anatomical location was the most common supratentorial site for these lesions; 29% of all supratentorial hemangioblastomas were found there. The mean (± standard deviation) pituitary stalk hemangioblastoma volume was 0.5 ± 0.9 cm3 (range 0.08–2.8 cm3). Results of endocrine laboratory profiles were normal in all patients. All patients remained asymptomatic and none required treatment during the follow-up period (mean duration 41.4 ± 14.4 months). Conclusions The pituitary stalk is the most common site for the development of supratentorial hemangioblastomas in patients with VHL disease. Pituitary stalk hemangioblastomas often remain asymptomatic and do not require treatment. These findings indicate that pituitary stalk hemangioblastomas in patients with VHL disease may be managed with observation and that surgery for them can be reserved until associated signs or symptoms occur.

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