American Journal of Otology 

About: American Journal of Otology is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Hearing loss & Middle ear. It has an ISSN identifier of 0192-9763. Over the lifetime, 2195 publications have been published receiving 59933 citations.

Osseointegrated titanium implants in the temporal bone. A clinical study on bone-anchored hearing aids.

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibilities for attaching a new type of direct bone conduction hearing aid. Using a gentle surgical technique, titanium screws were inserted into the temporal bone of fourteen patients suffering from hearing impairment. The implants became integrated with the living bone tissue and have remained so for a follow-up period of, at present, two to four years. It is therefore concluded that titanium implants may be osseointegrated in the temporal bone in a similar manner to that previously described for long bones. The bone-anchored titanium screws were connected to a permanently skin-penetrating abutment, which in turn was used for attachment to a hearing aid. In this way a direct bone conduction without obstructing soft tissue layers is secured. The permanent skin penetration caused no adverse soft tissue effects. The new system has improved pure-tone hearing threshold by about 15 dB. Further research is aimed at the construction of a new hearing aid that is better adapted to the impedance situation existing in the directly bone-anchored cases.

The natural history of Bell's palsy.

Abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to explain the spontaneous course of idiopathic facial palsy without treatment of any kind. The investigation included 1011 patients seen over a fifteen-year period. The patients were checked at short intervals until remission occurred, and these checks were discontinued only when normal function was restored or after a period of one year. For 85 percent of patients the first signs of remission were observed within three weeks after the outbreak; for the last 15 percent remission occurred three to six months later. Seventy-one percent recovered normal mimical function of the face, 13 percent had insignificant sequelae, and the last 16 percent had permanently diminished function with contracture and associated movements.

Evaluating meaningful auditory integration in profoundly hearing-impaired children.

Abstract: The Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (MAIS) was developed to evaluate meaningful use of sound in everyday situations by profoundly hearing-impaired children. Information about the use of sound in everyday situations is obtained with a parent interview technique. Initial findings obtained with this scale are reported in Experiment 1 for children who use a hearing aid, single-channel cochlear implant, multichannel cochlear implant, or two-channel tactile aid. The hearing aid users were perceived by their parents to use sound in everyday situations to a greater extent than were the users of either implant or the tactile aid. There was a trend toward slightly higher performance by the multi- than by the single-channel cochlear implant users. The tactile aid users were perceived by their parents to use sound in a meaningful way to the most limited extent. Scores on the MAIS, which were obtained on a longitudinal basis, are reported in Experiment 2. The findings suggest that meaningful auditory integration continued to develop over time in children who used each type of sensory aid.

Neurophysiological approach to tinnitus patients.

Abstract: The principal postulate of the neurophysiological model of tinnitus is that all levels of the auditory pathways and several nonauditory systems play essential roles in each case of tinnitus, stressing the dominance of nonauditory systems in determining the level of tinnitus annoyance. Thus it has been proposed to treat tinnitus by inducing and facilitating habituation to the tinnitus signal. The goal is to reach the stage at which, although patients may perceive tinnitus as unchanged when they focus on it, they are otherwise not aware of tinnitus. Furthermore, even when perceived, tinnitus does not evoke annoyance. Habituation is achieved by directive counseling combined with low-level, broad-band noise generated by wearable generators, and environmental sounds, according to a specific protocol. For habituation to occur, it is imperative to avoid masking tinnitus by these sounds. Since 1991, > 500 tinnitus patients have been seen in our center. About 40% exhibited hyperacusis to varying degrees. A survey of > 100 patients revealed > 80% of significant improvement in groups of patients treated with the full protocol involving counseling and the use of noise generators. Notably, in patients who received counseling only, the success rate was < 20%. The improvement in hyperacusis was observed in approximately 90% of treated patients.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal: an evaluation of a staging system

Abstract: Objective The study was conducted to review a staging system proposed by the University of Pittsburgh for temporal bone cancer and to evaluate survival status according to stage, treatment, and certain prognostic factors. Study design The study was a retrospective case review. Setting The study was conducted at a tertiary care medical center and specialty hospital. Patients Thirty-two patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal were studied. Intervention All patients underwent surgery of the temporal bone. Radiotherapy was given depending on tumor stage and histopathologic findings. Main outcome measures The 2-year survival rates of patients undergoing surgical resection with or without adjuvant radiotherapy. Results The 2-year survival rates for primary squamous cell carcinoma of the temporal bone were as follows: T1 lesions 100%, T2 80%, T3 50%, and T4 7%. Survival for T3 tumors was 75% with postoperative radiotherapy, compared with 0% with surgery alone. Conclusions The 2-year survival data directly correlated with the staging system. The use of adjuvant radiotherapy increased survival rate in patients with a T3 lesion.