Object The object of this study was to evaluate facial nerve outcomes in the surgical treatment of large vestibular schwannomas (VSs; ≥ 2.5 cm maximal or extrameatal cerebellopontine angle diameter) based on both the operative approach and extent of tumor resection. Methods A PubMed search was conducted of English language studies on the treatment of large VSs published from 1985 to 2011. Studies were then evaluated and included if they contained data regarding the size of the tumor, surgical approach, extent of resection, and postoperative facial nerve function. Results Of the 536 studies initially screened, 59 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and 30 studies were included for analysis. A total of 1688 tumor resections were reported. Surgical approach was reported in 1390 patients and was significantly associated with facial nerve outcome (ϕ= 0.29, p < 0.0001). Good facial nerve outcomes (House-Brackmann Grade I or II) were produced in 62.5% of the 555 translabyrinthine approaches, 65.2% of the 601 retrosigmoid approaches, and 27.4% of the 234 extended translabyrinthine approaches. Facial nerve outcomes from translabyrinthine and retrosigmoid approaches were not significantly different from each other, but both showed significantly more good facial nerve outcomes, compared with the extended translabyrinthine approach (OR for translabyrinthine vs extended translabyrinthine = 4.43, 95% CI 3.17–6.19, p < 0.0001; OR for retrosigmoid vs extended translabyrinthine = 4.98, 95% CI 3.57–6.95, p < 0.0001). There were 471 patients for whom extent of resection was reported. There was a strong and significant association between degree of resection and outcome (ϕ= 0.38, p < 0.0001). Of the 80 patients receiving subtotal resections, 92.5% had good facial nerve outcomes, compared with 74.6% (n = 55) and 47.3% (n = 336) of those who received near-total resections and gross-total resections, respectively. In the 2-way comparison of good versus suboptimal/poor outcomes (House-Brackmann Grade III–VI), subtotal resection was significantly better than near-total resection (OR = 4.21, 95% CI 1.50–11.79; p = 0.004), and near-total resection was significantly better than gross-total resection (OR = 3.26, 95% CI 1.71–6.20; p = 0.0002) in producing better facial nerve outcomes. Conclusions In a pooled patient population from studies evaluating the treatment of large VSs, subtotal and near-total resections were shown to produce better facial nerve outcomes when compared with gross-total resections. The translabyrinthine and retrosigmoid surgical approaches are likely to result in similar rates of good facial nerve outcomes. Both of these approaches show better facial nerve outcomes when compared with the extended translabyrinthine approach, which is typically reserved for especially large tumors. The reported literature on treatment of large VSs is extremely heterogeneous and minimal consistency in reporting outcomes was observed.

Transmeatal, low power (5 mW) laser irradiation was found to be useful for the treatment of chronic tinnitus.

The present study was performed to elucidate the clinical outcome, and etiology of acute otitis media (AOM) in children based on virologic and bacteriologic tests. The study group consisted of 120 children aged 6 to 144 months with AOM. Middle ear fluid (MEF) was tested for viral pathogens by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and for bacteria by gram-staining and culture. Clinical response was assessed on day 2 to 4, 11 to 13, 26 to 28. Respiratory viruses were isolated in 39 patients (32.5%). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (46.5%) was the most common virus identified in MEF samples, followed by human rhinovirus (HRV) (25.6%), human coronavirus (HCV) (11.6%), influenza (IV) type A (9.3%), adenovirus type sub type A (AV) (4%), and parainfluenza (PIV) type -3 (2%) by RT-PCR. In total 69 bacterial species were isolated from 65 (54.8%) of 120 patients. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) was the most frequently isolated bacteria. Viral RNA was detected in 31 (56.3%) of 55 bacteria-negative specimens and in 8 (12.3%) of 65 bacteria-positive MEF samples. No significant differences were found between children representing viral infection alone, combined viral and bacterial infection, bacterial infection alone, and neither viral nor bacterial infection, regarding clinical cure, relapse and reinfection rates. A significantly higher rate of secretory otitis media (SOM) was observed in alone or combined RSV infection with S. pneumonia or Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) than in other viruses infection. Conclusion. This study provides information about etiologic agents and diagnosis of AOM in Turkish children. The findings highlight the importance of common respiratory viruses and bacterial pathogens, particularly RSV, HRV, S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae, in predisposing to and causing AOM in children.

Three techniques were found to be feasible for tympanic membrane perforations smaller than 3 mm.

Compared with gelfoam, both sepragel and nasopore caused less histologic alterations.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the antifibrotic effect of systemically applied halofuginone after subglottic injury. Materials and Methods: After standardized trauma to subglottic area, rats were divided into two groups: a study group that received treatment and a control group that did not. The rats were treated with 0.1 mg/kg/day intraperitoneal halofuginone injection for 30 days. The larynx specimens were examined histopathologically under light microscope for epithelization, inflammation, necrosis, and fibrosis. Results: The fibrosis indexes of the treated group were significantly less than those of the control group (P < .01). Conclusions: Systemically applied halofuginone hydrobromide decreases fibrosis/scar tissue formation secondary to experimentally induced acute subglottic trauma.

Juvenile spring eruption is a photodermatosis characterized by the development of papules and vesicles on the light-exposed helix of the ears after sun exposure, usually in the springtime. It mainly affects boys and young male adults, and has a tendency to occur in the form of small epidemics. We report an outbreak in a group of soldiers who were performing military exercises during cold and sunny weather during a midwinter season. The clinicopathologic features and laboratory test results are described in two of these cases.

In rats, boric acid powder causes mild inflammation in middle ear mucosa and it has no ototoxic effects on cochlear outer hair cell function in the inner ear of rats.