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Medical Archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and... Oct 2018Actinomycosis is a saprophytic infection caused by actinomycetes. Actinomycetes is a gram positive, anaerobic, non acid-fast, filamentous bacterium. Although actinomyce...
INTRODUCTION
Actinomycosis is a saprophytic infection caused by actinomycetes. Actinomycetes is a gram positive, anaerobic, non acid-fast, filamentous bacterium. Although actinomyce is considered as a part of the normal flora, it is rarely seen in middle ear and mastoid cavity.
AIM
is to report a rare case of Actinomycosis infection of the middle ear and mastoid cavity.
CASE REPORT
We presented A 24 years old male arrived to our outpatient department complaining of right-sided otalgia and hearing loss for 8 years, no history of otorreah, vertigo or dizziness. He had a history of right-sided chronic suppurative otitis media with a history of two operations at the same side. This report suggests that actinomycosis , although it is rare, it could occurs in middle ear. It should be considered as one of the differential for chronic suppurative otitis media patients with no improvement on medical treatment.
CONCLUSION
Combined medical and surgical treatment is the recommended management for Actinomycosis infection of the middle ear and mastoid cavity.
Topics: Actinomycosis; Adult; Ear, Middle; Humans; Male; Mastoid; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
PubMed: 30514999
DOI: 10.5455/medarh.2018.72.295-296 -
PloS One 2020Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) is known to be an important player in inflammatory responses. STAT1 as a transcription factor regulates the...
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) is known to be an important player in inflammatory responses. STAT1 as a transcription factor regulates the expression of multiple proinflammatory genes. Inflammatory response is one of the common effects of ototoxicity. Our group reported that hair cells of STAT1 knockout (STAT1-KO) mice are less sensitive to ototoxic agents in-vitro. The effect of inflammatory responses in STAT1-KO mice has primarily been studied challenging them with several pathogens and analyzing different organs of those mice. However, the effect of STAT1 ablation in the mouse inner ear has not been reported. Therefore, we evaluated the cochlear function of wild type and STAT1-KO mice via auditory brain stem response (ABR) and performed histopathologic analysis of their temporal bones. We found ABR responses were affected in STAT1-KO mice with cases of bilateral and unilateral hearing impairment. Histopathologic examination of the middle and inner ears showed bilateral and unilateral otitis media. Otitis media was characterized by effusion of middle and inner ear that varied between the mice in volume and inflammatory cell content. In addition, the thickness of the middle ear mucosae in STAT1-KO mice were more pronounced than those in wild type mice. The degree of middle and inner ear inflammation correlated with ABR threshold elevation in STAT1-KO mice. It appears that a number of mice with inflammation underwent spontaneous resolution. The ABR thresholds were variable and showed a tendency to increase in homozygous and heterozygous STAT1-KO mice. These findings suggest that STAT1 ablation confers an increased susceptibility to otitis media leading to hearing impairment. Thus, the study supports the new role of STAT1 as otitis media predisposition gene.
Topics: Animals; Cochlea; Ear, Middle; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Otitis Media; STAT1 Transcription Factor
PubMed: 32991625
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239952 -
Tomography (Ann Arbor, Mich.) Dec 2023Imaging of the temporal bone and middle ear is challenging for radiologists due to the abundance of distinct anatomical structures and the plethora of possible... (Review)
Review
Imaging of the temporal bone and middle ear is challenging for radiologists due to the abundance of distinct anatomical structures and the plethora of possible pathologies. The basis for a precise diagnosis is knowledge of the underlying anatomy as well as the clinical presentation and the individual patient's otological status. In this article, we aimed to summarize the most common inflammatory lesions of the temporal bone and middle ear, describe their specific imaging characteristics, and highlight their differential diagnoses. First, we introduce anatomical and imaging fundamentals. Additionally, a point-to-point comparison of the radiological and histological features of the wide spectrum of inflammatory diseases of the temporal bone and middle ear in context with a review of the current literature and current trends is given.
Topics: Humans; Ear Diseases; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ear, Middle; Temporal Bone
PubMed: 38133074
DOI: 10.3390/tomography9060170 -
International Journal of Pediatric... Jan 2021Dermoid is a rare disease located in the head and neck and only sporadic cases were previously reported. Surgery with different operational paths is the best solution to...
OBJECTIVE
Dermoid is a rare disease located in the head and neck and only sporadic cases were previously reported. Surgery with different operational paths is the best solution to the disease. We aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of surgical approach for treating dermoid originated from the middle ear and Eustachian tube.
METHODS
In this retrospective case series, four cases of dermoids of the middle ear and Eustachian tube, treated by endoscopic-assisted surgical approach were reviewed and analyzed.
RESULTS
Patients' ages ranged from 7 months to 16 years. All cases involved the middle ear, eustachian tube, and the parapharyngeal space. Postoperative follow-up ranged from 6 months to 11 years. No facial nerve paralysis was observed during or after surgeries. Treatment was efficient in the four cases, with no residual symptoms during post-operative follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS
Dermoid of the middle ear involving the eustachian tube usually appears in children of early age. Surgical resection with assistance of endoscope has satisfying outcome for these cases.
Topics: Child; Dermoid Cyst; Ear, Middle; Endoscopes; Eustachian Tube; Humans; Infant; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 33221033
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110472 -
Journal of the Association For Research... Dec 2022The middle-ear system relies on a balance of mass and stiffness characteristics for transmitting sound from the external environment to the cochlea and auditory neural...
The middle-ear system relies on a balance of mass and stiffness characteristics for transmitting sound from the external environment to the cochlea and auditory neural pathway. Phase is one aspect of sound that, when transmitted and encoded by both ears, contributes to binaural cue sensitivity and spatial hearing. The study aims were (i) to investigate the effects of middle-ear stiffness on the auditory brainstem neural encoding of phase in human adults with normal pure-tone thresholds and (ii) to investigate the relationships between middle-ear stiffness-induced changes in wideband acoustic immittance and neural encoding of phase. The auditory brainstem neural encoding of phase was measured using the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) with and without middle-ear stiffness elicited via contralateral activation of the middle-ear muscle reflex (MEMR). Middle-ear stiffness was quantified using a wideband acoustic immittance assay of acoustic absorbance. Statistical analyses demonstrated decreased ASSR phase lag and decreased acoustic absorbance with contralateral activation of the MEMR, consistent with increased middle-ear stiffness changing the auditory brainstem neural encoding of phase. There were no statistically significant correlations between stiffness-induced changes in wideband acoustic absorbance and ASSR phase. The findings of this study may have important implications for understanding binaural cue sensitivity and horizontal plane sound localization in audiologic and otologic clinical populations that demonstrate changes in middle-ear stiffness, including cochlear implant recipients who use combined electric and binaural acoustic hearing and otosclerosis patients.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Ear, Middle; Hearing Tests; Hearing; Cochlear Nerve; Brain Stem; Auditory Threshold; Acoustic Stimulation
PubMed: 36214911
DOI: 10.1007/s10162-022-00872-0 -
Brain, Behavior and Evolution 2023Shared selection pressures often explain convergent trait loss, yet anurans (frogs and toads) have lost their middle ears at least 38 times with no obvious shared...
INTRODUCTION
Shared selection pressures often explain convergent trait loss, yet anurans (frogs and toads) have lost their middle ears at least 38 times with no obvious shared selection pressures unifying "earless" taxa. Anuran tympanic middle ear loss is especially perplexing because acoustic communication is dominant within Anura and tympanic middle ears enhance airborne hearing in most tetrapods.
METHODS
Here, we use phylogenetic comparative methods to examine whether particular geographic ranges, microhabitats, activity patterns, or aspects of acoustic communication are associated with anuran tympanic middle ear loss.
RESULTS
Although we find some differences between the geographic ranges of eared and earless species on average, there is plenty of overlap between the geographic distributions of eared and earless species. Additionally, we find a higher prevalence of diurnality in earless species, but not all earless species are diurnal. We find no universal adaptive explanation for the many instances of anuran tympanic middle ear loss.
CONCLUSION
The puzzling lack of universally shared selection pressures among earless species motivates discussion of alternative hypotheses, including genetic or developmental constraints, and the possibility that tympanic middle ear loss is maladaptive.
Topics: Animals; Phylogeny; Ear, Middle; Anura; Ear; Hearing
PubMed: 37913755
DOI: 10.1159/000534936 -
Hearing Research Sep 2021Wideband tympanometry performs a more thorough analysis of middle-ear mechanics than the conventional single-frequency method with a 226-Hz probe tone. The present work...
Wideband tympanometry performs a more thorough analysis of middle-ear mechanics than the conventional single-frequency method with a 226-Hz probe tone. The present work examines the sensitivity of wideband tympanometry to the stiffness of the stapes-annular ligament system in relation to intracranial pressure (ICP) and labyrinthine fluid pressure. Here, body tilt allowed ICP to be set at different values. Sixty-eight ears of volunteers were tested sequentially in upright, supine, head-down (-30°) and upright postures. Energy absorbance of the ear was measured in these postures with a commercially available wideband-tympanometry device between 0.25 and 3 kHz, at ear-canal pressures between -600 and 300 daPa. In each posture, it was possible to find a single (posture-dependent) pressure in the ear canal at which a tympanometric peak occurred at all frequencies below about 1.1 kHz. The average across ears of tympanometric-peak pressure (TPP), close to 0 in upright posture, got increasingly positive, +19 daPa in supine and +27 daPa in head-down positions. The three-dimensional plot of energy absorbance against frequency and pressure displayed an invariant shape, merely shifting with TPP along the pressure axis. Thus, a properly adjusted ear-canal pressure neutralized the effects of ICP on the ear's energy absorbance. Comparisons to published invasive assessments of ICP in the different tested body positions led to the proposed relationship ICP ≈ 15 TPP, likely describing the transformer effect between tympanic membrane and stapes-annular ligament system at quasi-static pressures. With wideband tympanometry, the middle ear may serve as a precision scales for noninvasive ICP measurements.
Topics: Acoustic Impedance Tests; Ear, Inner; Ear, Middle; Humans; Intracranial Pressure; Tympanic Membrane
PubMed: 34298416
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108312 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2021Acute otitis media (AOM) is commonly caused by bacterial pathobionts of the nasopharynx that ascend the Eustachian tube to cause disease in the middle ears. To model and...
Acute otitis media (AOM) is commonly caused by bacterial pathobionts of the nasopharynx that ascend the Eustachian tube to cause disease in the middle ears. To model and study the various complexities of AOM, common human otopathogens are injected directly into the middle ear bullae of rodents or are delivered with viral co-infections which contribute to the access to the middle ears in complex and partially understood ways. Here, we present the novel observation that , a well-characterized respiratory commensal/pathogen of mice, also efficiently ascends their Eustachian tubes to colonize their middle ears, providing a flexible mouse model to study naturally occurring AOM. Mice lacking T and/or B cells failed to resolve infections, highlighting the cooperative role of both in clearing middle ear infection. Adoptively transferred antibodies provided complete protection to the lungs but only partially protected the middle ears, highlighting the differences between respiratory and otoimmunology. We present this as a novel experimental system that can capitalize on the strengths of the mouse model to dissect the molecular mechanisms involved in the generation and function of immunity within the middle ear.
Topics: Animals; Bordetella bronchiseptica; Ear, Middle; Eustachian Tube; Mice; Nasopharynx; Otitis Media
PubMed: 35141173
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.815627 -
Japanese Journal of Radiology Mar 2022The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of temporal subtraction CT (TSCT) of temporal bone CT for the detection of postoperative recurrent/residual...
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of temporal subtraction CT (TSCT) of temporal bone CT for the detection of postoperative recurrent/residual cholesteatoma of the middle ear.
METHODS
Thirty-two consecutive patients with surgically proven postoperative recurrent/residual cholesteatoma and 14 consecutive patients without recurrent/residual lesion matched the selection criteria and were retrospectively evaluated. TSCT imaging was generated with the use of serial postoperative CT. Two experienced radiologists and two residents evaluated the presence of bone erosive change by comparison serial CT studies, and CT and TSCT. The detection rate of bone erosive change, sensitivity and specificity of the recurrence/residual lesions, and reading time for each reader were evaluated.
RESULTS
TSCT + CT significantly improved the detection of bone erosive changes compared to CT-only evaluation (17.4-41.3% vs. 37.0-58.7%, p = 0.008-0.046). The mean sensitivity and specificity of TSCT + CT for experienced radiologists were 0.77 and 1.00, and 0.52 and 0.97 without TSCT. The mean sensitivity and specificity of TSCT + CT for residents were 0.64 and 1.00, and 0.41 and 1.00 without TSCT. Sensitivity showed an increase in all readers. The use of TSCT significantly reduced the reading time per case in all readers (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
TSCT improves the depiction of newly occurring progressive bone erosive changes, and detection sensitivity and reading time in postoperative recurrence/residual cholesteatoma of middle ear.
Topics: Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear; Ear, Middle; Humans; Retrospective Studies; Temporal Bone; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 34689305
DOI: 10.1007/s11604-021-01209-2 -
European Archives of... Apr 2023Otoendoscopy represents the initial non-invasive diagnostic cornerstone for external and middle ear disorders. Recently, new techniques of enhanced imaging such as...
PURPOSE
Otoendoscopy represents the initial non-invasive diagnostic cornerstone for external and middle ear disorders. Recently, new techniques of enhanced imaging such as narrow-band imaging (NBI) have been introduced but their role as a potential aid in otological practice remains unproven. In this pictorial review, we want to present the potential application of this endoscopic method, highlight its limitations, and give some hints regarding its future implementation.
METHODS
Representative cases of external and/or middle ear pathologies were selected to illustrate the role of NBI in this regard.
RESULTS
NBI may represent a useful aid in the otological work-up, in the differential diagnosis of ear tumor-like masses, and, possibly, in the prognosis of tympanic perforations. For other ear disorders, instead, this technique does not seem to add anything to the standard clinical practice.
CONCLUSIONS
NBI might prove useful in the assessment of selected external and middle ear disorders but its role must be prospectively validated.
Topics: Humans; Endoscopy; Ear, Middle; Narrow Band Imaging; Ear Diseases; Tympanic Membrane Perforation
PubMed: 36129549
DOI: 10.1007/s00405-022-07656-5