There is indication in the literature that BAHA provides greater relief of hearing handicap associated with USNHL than CROS hearing aids; however, both have been found to provide limited patient satisfaction and seemingly fall short of restoring true sound localization. Adequate trials have not been performed comparing BAHA with the best CROS hearing aid technology. Transcranial hearing aids and cochlear implants are experimental methods to treat USNHL and hold promise, although there remains a lack of studies available to fully support this.
The concentration of bone dust produced during cortical mastoidectomy is below regulatory guidelines for use of particulate respirators. However, experimental studies show the use of a surgical respirator may decrease particulate exposure.
Recent interest in cochlear implantation for children has made it important to understand how postnatal growth of the ear will affect such devices. In this study, the postnatal growth of the labyrinth, middle ear, and mastoid was measured in three dimensions using radiographic and temporal bone data. Measurements were made from histologic sections of 48 temporal bones from children and compared to adult temporal bones. Radiographic measurements were made from 253 sets of skull radiographs of children and compared to adult skull series. In the three dimensions measured, there was no postnatal growth of the labyrinth and little variation in size between individuals. Measurements of the middle ear showed greater variation between individuals than measurements of the inner ear, but growth only in the distance from stapes footplate to the tympanic membrane. The mastoid showed growth in all three dimensions: length, width, and depth. The pattern of growth for mastoid length and width appears to follow a double logistic model, with differences between males and females. The growth in mastoid depth is smaller and appears to follow a single exponential curve. The implications for cochlear implantation in children are discussed.
Although the potential for CSF leakage and subsequent meningitis after cochlear implantation in the malformed cochlea has been recognized, this complication has not been previously reported. We report a case of CSF otorhinorrhea and meningitis after minor head trauma developing 2 years after cochlear implantation in a child with Mondini malformation. Leakage of CSF was identified from the cochleostomy around the electrode of the implant, and this leak was sealed with a temporalis fascia and muscle plug. Although this complication appears to be rare, care must be taken to seal the cochleostomy in children with inner ear malformations at the initial surgery, and any episode of meningitis after surgery must be thoroughly investigated to rule out CSF leakage from the labyrinth.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.