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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and... Jun 2024Vestibular disorders have had a disabling effect because of the symptoms they cause. The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of disabilit...
Vestibular disorders have had a disabling effect because of the symptoms they cause. The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of disability associated with vertigo in patients with different vestibular disorders using a handicap questionnaire and to investigate the possible relationship between some factors with different types of vestibular disorders and vertigo-related handicap scores. 462 subjects aged 12-90 years old with symptoms of vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance were recruited from several public and private centers. After taking the medical history, the patients fillled out the Vertigo Handicap Questionnaire (VHQ). There was a significant difference between the VHQ mean scores of vestibular disorders ( = 0.002). There was also a significant relationship between the male sex and BPPV and blood supply problems, between women with endolymphatic hydrops, vestibular neuritis, VM, CNS disorders, concomitant BPPV, and hydrops, between vestibular disorders and various ranges of hearing. BPPV, neuritis, VM, were also significantly correlated with blood pressure, concomitant BPPV and hydrops, with diabetes and hydrops, and concomitant BPPV and hydrops were significantly correlated with cholesterol. The coexistence of various vestibular disorders may cause additional handicaps and should be considered. Some comorbidities may also affect the degree of handicap, although their effects may not be the same. Various factors in addition to the type of vestibular disorder, such as personality, culture, education level, income, and strategies for coping with the disease, may also determine the level of patient-reported vertigo handicap.
PubMed: 38883464
DOI: 10.1007/s12070-023-04315-x -
Cureus May 2024Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the primary vestibular disorder causing peripheral vertigo. Given the role of vitamin D in maintaining otoconia...
INTRODUCTION
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the primary vestibular disorder causing peripheral vertigo. Given the role of vitamin D in maintaining otoconia homeostasis, its deficiency may elevate the risk of BPPV. Our study seeks to evaluate the correlation between vitamin D deficiency and clinical outcomes of patients with BPPV in the local Asian population.
METHODOLOGY
We performed a retrospective analysis of 149 consecutive adult patients referred to a tertiary center's Otolaryngology dizziness clinic between 2018 and 2021. All of these patients had both BPPV and vitamin D deficiency.
RESULTS
The mean serum vitamin D level was 19.4 ± 5.5 ng/mol. Approximately 51.7% (77/149) of patients experienced recurrent episodes of BPPV. Univariate Chi-square analyses demonstrated vitamin D levels ( < 0.001) and history of migraine (= 0.04) were related to BPPV recurrence. On multivariate analyses, patients with higher serum vitamin D levels were 16.7% less likely to develop recurrent BPPV (odds ratio [OR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76-0.90, < 0.001). However, migraine history was not significantly related to BPPV recurrence (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.14-1.00, = 0.050). There was no statistically significant difference in the duration of BPPV episodes based on vitamin D levels ( = 0.327).
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with vitamin D deficiency are at higher risk of recurrent BPPV. Future research directions that would be beneficial include conducting a randomized controlled trial to evaluate both the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation and its optimal dosage.
PubMed: 38883121
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60325 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2024The pathogenesis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss remains unclear, and no substantial breakthroughs have been achieved in its treatment. Therefore, we...
BACKGROUND
The pathogenesis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss remains unclear, and no substantial breakthroughs have been achieved in its treatment. Therefore, we conducted this study with the aim to investigate the clinical features and prognostic factors of patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and auditory nerve enhancement by using three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the inner ear.
METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of adult patients, who experienced sudden unilateral deafness and were admitted to the Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, between December 2020 and July 2021. Patients were divided into an auditory nerve enhancement group and a normal inner ear group, according to 3D-FLAIR MRI findings. Differences in sex, age, side, disease course, underlying diseases, dizziness/vertigo, vestibular function, degree of deafness, hearing classification, and treatment efficacy were analyzed.
RESULTS
Of the 112 cases of sudden idiopathic deafness, 16.07% exhibited enhancement of the auditory nerve on inner-ear 3D-FLAIR MRI. Statistically significant differences in the degree and type of hearing loss were detected between the two groups ( < 0.05). The rates of abnormal results in the caloric, vestibular-evoked myogenic potential, and video head impulse tests were higher in the auditory nerve enhancement group. The cure rate (11.1%) in patients with auditory nerve enhancement was lower than that in patients with normal inner ear MRI findings (28.7%); however, the difference was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSION
Findings from 3D-FLAIR MRI scans of the inner ear indicated that patients with sudden deafness and auditory nerve enhancement experienced severe hearing loss, aggravated vestibular function injury, and a significantly decreased cure rate. Prompt treatment, ideally within 2 weeks of disease onset, can facilitate hearing recovery.
PubMed: 38882699
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1410516 -
Practical Neurology Jun 2024Neurologists encounter a range of neurological disorders triggered by head and neck movement, reflecting an array of underlying pathologies and producing diverse... (Review)
Review
Neurologists encounter a range of neurological disorders triggered by head and neck movement, reflecting an array of underlying pathologies and producing diverse symptoms. This article provides a practically orientated review of 14 disorders and how to diagnose and manage them, including common disorders such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and uncommon entities such as arterial compression syndromes leading to stroke or syncope, mobile intraventricular masses and medication withdrawal states. The article considers atypical scenarios including unusual manifestations and important mimics and discusses controversial entities, as well as the risk of misattributing symptoms based on incidental imaging abnormalities. Guidelines are referenced where they exist, while in rarer situations, approaches taken in published cases are described, with the acknowledgement that management decisions are at the clinician's discretion.
PubMed: 38876781
DOI: 10.1136/pn-2024-004160 -
Journal of Vestibular Research :... Jun 2024Visual vertigo occurs after vestibular and non-vestibular pathology and can be present in children and adolescents. It can be assessed by "the Visual Vertigo Analogue...
BACKGROUND
Visual vertigo occurs after vestibular and non-vestibular pathology and can be present in children and adolescents. It can be assessed by "the Visual Vertigo Analogue Scale" (VVAS), a questionnaire with a Portuguese version for adults.
OBJECTIVES
To perform the adaptation to pediatric age and validation of VVAS in European Portuguese.
METHODS
This prospective study involved the pediatric adaptation of the Portuguese VVAS, according to recognized guidelines. It was then completed by 30 healthy controls and 18 children with vestibulopathy. Patient caregivers also completed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory - Patient Caregivers (DHI-PC) to further explore the link between questionnaires. Groups were compared for severity of visual vertigo and VVAS test-retest reliability was tested.
RESULTS
The VVAS score was significantly higher in vestibular group (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found between VVAS initial and re-test scores (p = 0.33). VVAS severity scores showed a positive correlation with DHI-PC (r = 0.598, p = 0.009).
CONCLUSION
The present Pediatric adaptation of VVAS in European Portuguese shows good psychometric properties for the assessment of visual vertigo. A positive correlation with the DHI-PC was showed, establishing the potential use of both questionnaires in the evaluation of vertigo children.
PubMed: 38875066
DOI: 10.3233/VES-230140 -
Four-Hour-Delayed Gadolinium 3D REAL IR and SPACE FLAIR MRI Correlated to Meniere Disease Histology.Ear, Nose, & Throat Journal Jun 2024This study aims to showcase the complementary nature of utilizing both histopathology and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in understanding the otologic pathophysiology...
This study aims to showcase the complementary nature of utilizing both histopathology and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in understanding the otologic pathophysiology of Meniere disease. In addition, it seeks to raise awareness of the value of preserving and curating historical temporal bone collections which continue to inform our understanding of otologic diseases. The essential anatomical feature of Meniere disease-the distended membranous labyrinth-is explored through a comparison of early temporal bone studies with contemporary MRI techniques. The histopathologic photomicrographs are of inner ear specimens from deceased patients with symptoms consistent with Meniere disease. The MRI sequences from living patients exhibiting classic Meniere disease symptoms during life are captured 4 hours post-administration of gadolinium. Both histopathologic examination and MRI imaging reveal consistent distention of the saccule, utricle, and scala media in patients with Meniere disease. The study shows the histologic photomicrographs of actual Meniere patients compared to the MRIs and successfully demonstrates the correlation between postmortem histological findings and MRI evidence of distension in living patients. A corresponding distension of the membranous labyrinth is seen in both the histologic specimens and the Meniere MRIs. This correlation suggests the potential utility of utilizing MRI to aid in diagnosing atypical Meniere disease and distinguishing it from other disease processes, such as migraine equivalent vertigo. The integration of historical temporal bone studies with modern MRI techniques offers valuable insights into the pathophysiology of otologic diseases. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of preserving and curating historical temporal bone collections for continued research and medical education purposes. Previous studies of delayed MRIs did not use Meniere disease temporal bone histopathology images.
PubMed: 38872311
DOI: 10.1177/01455613241261461 -
Journal of the Chinese Medical... Jun 2024The senior author Shiao, had introduced a modified version of the traditional stapes surgery, called minimally traumatic stapes surgery (MTSS), and explored its...
BACKGROUND
The senior author Shiao, had introduced a modified version of the traditional stapes surgery, called minimally traumatic stapes surgery (MTSS), and explored its effectiveness in reducing postoperative vertigo. However, MTSS exhibited no significant breakthrough in terms of audiometric results. Building upon the original MTSS through slight modifications and the use of the Medtronic Big Easy® Piston as the prosthesis, this study evaluates a refined version of the original MTSS technique. In particular, this research sought to investigate the impact of this refined approach on hearing outcomes and postoperative complications among patients diagnosed with otosclerosis.
METHODS
This research comprehensively examined the medical records of individuals diagnosed with otosclerosis who underwent MTSS. The postoperative outcomes assessed encompassed hearing outcomes and the occurrence of any new complications.
RESULTS
Overall, 95 patients diagnosed with otosclerosis (comprising 106 affected ears) underwent MTSS. Significant improvements in both the average air conduction threshold (40 ± 16.82 dB after vs. 60 ± 14.56 dB before surgery; p < 0.0001) and average air-bone gap (11.99 ± 7.24 dB after vs. 29.65 ± 9.47 dB before surgery; p =0.003) were observed after the surgery. Conversely, no significant change in the average bone conduction threshold was observed after the procedure (28 ± 13.81 dB after vs. 29 ± 12.31 dB before surgery; p = 0.149). Among the 106 affected ears, 102 showed postoperative air-bone gap measurements <20 dB, indicating an impressive 96.2% overall hearing improvement. Notably, only a few postoperative complications were observed, including vertigo, chorda tympani injury, facial weakness, and a slight hearing deterioration.
CONCLUSION
The refined MTSS technique promoted significant postoperative hearing improvements with minimal complications. This approach showed potential for addressing the surgical challenges in Asian patients with otosclerosis, emphasizing the importance of further research on this advanced procedural method.
PubMed: 38869453
DOI: 10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001107 -
Otology & Neurotology : Official... Jul 2024To uncover the context that allowed for the vestibular neurectomy to grow in favor and practice at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in the early 20th century, and the reasons...
OBJECTIVES
To uncover the context that allowed for the vestibular neurectomy to grow in favor and practice at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in the early 20th century, and the reasons for its broad abandonment since.
METHODS
The Walter E. Dandy (1905-1946) and Samuel J. Crowe collections (1905-1920) at the Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives were reviewed, as well as the Samuel J. Crowe and Stacy Guild Temporal Bone Collection.
RESULTS
Speculation on the etiology of Menière's disease (MD) has been countless, as have the medical and surgical interventions aimed at treating it. At the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Walter Dandy popularized the neurectomy for MD and performed 692 procedures from 1924 to 1946, believing it to be a curative therapy for vertigo. When he later modified the procedure from a total cranial nerve section to a partial vestibular neurectomy preserving auditory function, surgical candidacy expanded to include nearly any patient with vestibular symptoms. After his passing, trainees' attention shifted to traumatic injuries, likely influenced by WWII. This left the procedure scarcely used until third parties rekindled interest decades later.
CONCLUSIONS
Neurectomy as the preferential treatment for MD at the Johns Hopkins Hospital was not driven by pure scientific reasoning but was rather contingent on historical context and sponsorship by a prominent figure like Walter Dandy. Appreciation of MD's natural history has since curtailed the favorability of destructive procedures in preference for conservative management.
Topics: History, 20th Century; Humans; Meniere Disease; Vestibular Nerve
PubMed: 38865729
DOI: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000004204 -
Otology & Neurotology : Official... Jul 2024To analyze the outcomes of exoscopic versus microscopic type 1 tympanoplasty. (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the outcomes of exoscopic versus microscopic type 1 tympanoplasty.
STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective chart review.
SETTING
Tertiary care otology-neurotology practice.
PATIENTS
Adult subjects with a diagnosis of tympanic membrane perforation from 2018 to 2022.
INTERVENTION
Exoscopic or microscopic tympanoplasty with cartilage + perichondrium or perichondrium/fascia graft.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Primary outcomes were graft success rate (1 wk, 3 wk, 3 mo, and 6 mo postoperatively) and operative time. Secondary outcomes included audiometric outcomes of postoperative air-bone gap (ABG), change in ABG, pure tone average (PTA), speech reception threshold (SRT), and word recognition score (WRS) at 6-month follow-up and complication rates of cerebrospinal fluid leak, facial nerve injury, persistent tinnitus, and persistent vertigo.
RESULTS
Seventy-one patients underwent type 1 tympanoplasty by a single surgeon. Thirty-six patients underwent exoscopic tympanoplasty, and 35 patients underwent microscopic tympanoplasty. Cartilage and perichondrium were utilized in 27 subjects (75.0%) in the exoscopic group and in 25 subjects (71.4%) in the microscopic group (p = 0.7, Cramer's V = 0.04). Graft success rate was as follows (exoscope versus microscope): 100% (36/36) versus 100% (35/35) at 1 week (p = 1.0, Cramer's V = 0.0), 97.2% (35/36) versus 100% (35/35) at 3 weeks (p = 1.0, Cramer's V = 0.1), 97.2% (35/36) versus 94.3% (33/35) at 3 months (p = 1.0, Cramer's V = 0.07), and 91.7% (33/36) versus 91.4% (32/35) at 6 months (p = 0.7, Cramer's V = 0.0). Operative time was 57.7 minutes for the exoscopic group and 65.4 minutes for the microscopic group (p = 0.08, 95% CI [-16.4, 0.9], Cohen's d = 0.4). There were no serious complications. All preoperative and postoperative audiometric outcomes were comparable.
CONCLUSIONS
The outcomes after exoscopic versus microscopic type 1 tympanoplasty are comparable.
Topics: Humans; Tympanoplasty; Male; Female; Adult; Tympanic Membrane Perforation; Retrospective Studies; Middle Aged; Treatment Outcome; Microsurgery; Aged; Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Cartilage; Postoperative Complications
PubMed: 38865726
DOI: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000004220 -
Physiotherapy Research International :... Jul 2024Otological symptoms (OS) are highly prevalent in individuals with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Individuals with TMD and OS have more neck disability and decreased...
Quality of life and level of physical activity of individuals with temporomandibular disorders with and without otological symptoms: Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Otological symptoms (OS) are highly prevalent in individuals with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Individuals with TMD and OS have more neck disability and decreased deep neck muscles endurance when compared to individuals without OS. However, no studies have evaluated whether OS is associated with lower Quality of Life (QoL) and worse levels of physical activity. This study aimed to evaluate the QoL and level of physical activity of individuals with TMD with and without OS.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, 62 individuals with TMD were allocated into 2 groups: TMD with OS (n = 36) or TMD without OS (n = 26). Self-reported complaints of dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, earache, ear fullness, or hypoacusis were considered as OS. QoL was assessed with the WHOQOL-Bref and physical activity with the IPAQ-SF. Independent t-test and chi-squared test were used for analysis between-groups. Effect sizes were reported using Cohen's d. A Pearson correlation was used to compare the number of OS and QoL scores. A significance level of p < 0.05% and 95% confidence intervals were considered statistically significant.
RESULTS
The total generic scores for QoL were not different between-groups (p = 0.076), but individuals with TMD with OS had lower satisfaction (p = 0.015; d: 0.63) and physical domain (p = 0.015; d: 0.64) scores with a moderate effect size. In TMD with OS, 69.4% of individuals were irregularly active and 50% for the TMD without OS, with no statistical significance (p > 0.05). The number of OSs was inversely and weakly associated with the QoL total score.
CONCLUSION
Individuals with TMD and OS are associated with worsened QoL (physical domain and satisfaction) when compared to individuals with TMD without OS. The higher the number of OS, the worse the QoL score. Individuals with TMD with and without OS had similar levels of physical activity, but a high prevalence of irregularly active and sedentary individuals within TMD diagnosed population was found.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Cross-Sectional Studies; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders; Male; Female; Adult; Exercise; Middle Aged; Tinnitus; Young Adult; Ear Diseases
PubMed: 38861658
DOI: 10.1002/pri.2104