Journal Reviews
Third-party disability in cochlear implantation
The authors of this study note significant third-party disability experienced by significant others (SO) or communication partners of persons with hearing impairment (PHI). The study explored contextual and psychosocial factors for successful auditory rehabilitation, advocating for the importance of including...
Blood-sampling prognostic predictors for Bell’s palsy
Bell’s palsy is generally defined as an acute-onset unilateral idiopathic mononeuropathy in the facial nerve. It is of unknown aetiology, however, inflammation is considered a major cause. Electroneurography assessing nerve excitability is the most reliable examination for predicting prognosis of...
Measurement of HINTS in peripheral vestibulopathy
Dizziness; Head impulse test; Nystagmus; Skew deviation; Vertigo.
Balloon eustachian tuboplasty and inferior turbinectomy
This Taiwanese prospective case-control study looked at concurrent inferior turbinectomy (via submucosal turbinectomy) and balloon eustachian tuboplasty on symptoms related to eustachian tube dysfunction. A total of 50 patients who underwent inferior turbinectomy with balloon eustachian tuboplasty were recruited prospectively...
Endolymphatic sac tumours
The authors performed a systematic review of literature and describe the clinical signs and symptoms of endolymphatic sac tumours (ELST) in this article. A total of 113 patients and 118 cases from 26 studies were included in the study. The...
Small but significant
These authors try to circumnavigate the conundrum of what is influenced by what. For something so small, the impact of the Stria Vascularis cannot be understated. The difficulty in reviewing the influence of loop diuretics or aminoglycosides on the Stria...
Temporal bone drilling using artificial versus cadaveric specimens - does the specimen precipitate altered drilling techniques?
Hochman et al set an ambitious goal in their study analysing drilling strokes of eight otolaryngology residents (junior: PGY 1-3; senior: PGY 4-5) during temporal bone (TB) drilling practice using cadaveric and artificial specimens. Each trainee dissected one cadaveric and...
Impact of vestibular rehabilitation on patients with peripheral vestibular disorders
Vestibular rehabilitation is a widely used treatment for vestibular dysfunction. It can improve dizziness, fall risk, balance, and emotional status. However, some patients do not get benefit from vestibular rehabilitation. In this study, the authors assessed the impact of dizziness...
A twitch in time with a flicker of knowledge
The middle ear muscles can be seen as one of the ear’s safety mechanisms, and the interplay between eyes and ears has been established; think vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) or semi-circular canal dehiscence (SCCD). But can this protective mechanism be...
Hearing rehabilitation for patients with chronic otitis media
Chronic otitis media (COM) commonly causes associated hearing loss. The authors performed a review of the literature, discussed challenges of restoring hearing in patients with COM and potential future work in reporting results both in terms of hearing outcomes and...
Impact of COVID-19 on ear surgeries
The authors review the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the practice of ear surgeries in this article. The pandemic has changed how we practise medicine and introduced new guidelines to ensure safety of healthcare personnel. Studies have demonstrated COVID-19...
Steroid use in acute acoustic trauma
Acute acoustic trauma (AAT) injuries include noise-induced damage to inner and middle ear presenting as hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo. Classic presentation is sensorineural hearing loss with an intact tympanic membrane. The authors carried out a case-control study in military...
