Objective:To explore the value of high resolution computed tomography（HRCT） combined with Magnetic Resonance Imaging（MRI） in the diagnosis of inner ear malformation. Methods:HRCT and MRI data of 82 patients with inner ear malformations were analyzed retrospectively. HRCT MPR and CPR reconstruction of the inner ear structure, facial nerve canal and oblique sagittal MRI reconstruction of the internal auditory canal were performed. The inner ear malformations were classified, the conditions of facial nerve canal and cochlear nerve were evaluated. The association between inner ear malformation and cochlear nerve dysplasia were analyzed by Chi-square test with continuity correction. Results:Among the 82 patients with inner ear malformations,there were 49 cases of bilateral symmetry, 11 cases of bilateral asymmetry and 22 cases of unilateral inner ear malformations. Respectively, the most prevalent types were IP-Ⅱ（42.96%）, dilatation of atrium aqueduct（18.31%） and malformations of atrium and semicircular canal 19.72%. Out of 50 cases of cochlear malformations,only 3 were isolated cochlear malformations, and the rest were accompanied by other malformations of varying degrees. In the 67 ears examined by MRI, 26（38.81%） had cochlear nerve deficiency（CND）, and the incidence of CND varied with different types of inner ear malformations. Out of 142 ears, 28（19.72%） had abnormalities of the facial nerve canal. Conclusion:HRCT combined with MRI can accurately distinguish the types of inner ear malformation and effectively evaluate the facial nerve canal and cochlear nerve, and further provides the important finger and Guide value for the clinician to formulate the reasonable treatment and the operation plan.
Humans ; Ear, Inner/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Child ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Cochlear Nerve/diagnostic imaging* ; Facial Nerve/abnormalities* ; Cochlea/abnormalities* ; Infant ; Young Adult

Objective:The objective of this study is to analyze the detection rate, the pathogenic fungus distribution, risk factors and drug sensitivity of fungal infection of external auditory canal in patients diagnosed with chronic otitis media. Methods:The data of a total of 419 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media or middle ear cholesteatoma who were admitted from January 2019 to February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Results:A total of 419 patients were included, and 71 patients（16.9%） were positive for fungal culture. The disease mostly occurred in subjects aged 51-60 years old, and patients over 60 years old（47 cases, 66.2%）. From the fungal culture of external auditory canal secretions, 48 cases（11.4%） of Aspergillus and 14 cases（3.3%） of Candida were identified. The prevalence of fungal cultures in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media（20.8%） was significantly higher than that in patients with middle ear cholectestoma（4.9%）. The detection rate of Fungal was significantly increased after topical treatment with antibiotic ear drops（47.0% vs 13.6%）. Most of the isolated fungal strains are wild-type, and they are the sensitivity to voriconazole and fluconazole was the highest（97.2%）. For patients with positive fungal culture, iodoform gauze with triamcinolone acetonide and econazole cream was used to fill the external auditory canal during surgery. There was no significant difference in the tympanic membrane healing rate between patients with positive fungal culture and patients with negative fungal culture at 3 weeks after surgery（98.6% vs 97.7%）. Conclusion:Fungal infections of external auditory canal in patients with chronic otitis media tend to occur in older patients, which is more common in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media. Long-term topical treatment with antibiotic ear drops is an independent risk factor for fungal infection of external auditory canal in patients with chronic otitis media. The isolated fungal strains were highly sensitive to antifungal drugs. Therefore, it is advisable to refrain from employing topical antibiotic treatment for elderly patients with chronic suppurative otitis media/middle ear cholesteatoma, abuse of local antibiotic therapy should be avoided, and Fungal-related pathogenic examinations should be actively performed and anti-fungal drugs should be added if necessary.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Chronic Disease ; Otitis Media, Suppurative/microbiology* ; Ear Canal/microbiology* ; Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Mycoses/epidemiology* ; Aspergillus/isolation & purification* ; Candida/isolation & purification* ; Otitis Media/complications* ; Aged ; Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear/microbiology*

Objective:To investigate the occurrence and managements of poor recovery after total endoscopic middle ear surgery. Methods:A total of 302 cases（315 ears） who underwent endoscopic middle ear surgery in our hospital from June 2020 to June 2021 were collected. Follow up by means of endoscopy, pure tone hearing threshold, tympanogram was conducted at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after surgery to analyze the incidence, possible causes, treatment strategies and effects of poor results tympanic membrane healing and hearing recovery. Results:Among 302 patients（315 ears） followed up, there were 28 cases with poor recovery. There were fourteen cases of poor eardrum healing, of which 10 cases achieved healing of eardrum after tympanic membrane patching in the outpatient department, with a success rate of about 71.4%. TM recurrence adhesion occurred in 4 cases after surgeries of cholesteatoma and adhesive otitis media. One case completely recovered after self eustachian tube insufflation, while 2 cases maintained the degree of eardrum subsidence, and one ineffective patient chose resurgical treatment, with an effective rate was 75.0%. Failure in hearing improvement occurred in 8 cases, all of which underwent second surgical exploration, and seven cases were improved after the second surgery, with an effective rate of 87.5%. Among the 8 patients with no improvement or aggravation of hearing loss after surgery, four cases had postoperative B-type or C-type of tympanogram, and the hearing could not improve after self eustachian tube insufflation for secondary surgical exploration. and the hearing improved after the secondary surgery. Incorrect orientation of ossicular prosthesis was accounted for another 2 cases, the hearing was improved after the ossicular orientation adjustment. One patient with lateral healing of TM and failed hearing recovery was corrected by a second operation. One case of tympanosclerosis underwent stapes release surgery, but hearing recovery still failed. One patient had recurrent postoperative cicatricial atresia of external auditory canal, and the patient was reluctant to undergo reoperation. Postoperative delayed facial paralysis occurred in 1 case, and the facial paralysis recovered recovered after conservative treatments. Conclusion:Eardrum patch and eustachian tube autoflation are simple and effective early outpatient treatment for patient with poor recovery. For those who failed with conservative treatments such as eardrum patch or eustachian tube and poor hearing recovery, the second surgical exploration is safe and effective. Regular follow up after endoscopic middle ear surgery is necessary for the managements of poor recovery.
Humans ; Ear, Middle/surgery* ; Female ; Male ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Tympanic Membrane/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Hearing Loss/surgery* ; Otologic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Otitis Media/surgery* ; Eustachian Tube/surgery*

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the clinical features and surgical efficacy of congenital cholesteatoma （CC） and acquired cholesteatoma （AC） in children. Methods:Clinical data of 169 children with middle ear cholesteatoma were reviewed in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2010 to July 2020. The clinical characteristics, stages, surgical methods, and postoperative recurrence rates were analyzed and summarized. Results:The age distribution of enrolled children ranged from 2 to 14 years. The mean age of the CC group was （5.60±2.48） years compared with （6.45±2.48） years in the AC group, and the difference was statistically significant （P<0.05）. Preoperative hearing in the CC group was （40.06±13.52） dB HL, which was better than in the AC group at （48.40±13.84） dB HL （P<0.05）. The proportion of stage Ⅰ in the CC group was lower than that in the AC group according to EAONO/JOS staging （P<0.05）. The recurrence rate after primary surgery was 19.23% （10/52） in the CC group compared with 36.29% （45/124） in the AC group （P<0.05）. The mastoid retention rates after all operations were 28.85% （15/52） in the CC group and 5.65% （7/124） in the AC group （P<0.05）. Conclusion:Compared with congenital cholesteatoma, acquired cholesteatoma in children is more aggressive and has more complications, higher postoperative recurrence rate, and less possibility of mastoid retention. Early clinical detection and treatment are required, and canal wall-down tympanoplasty should be considered in surgery.
Humans ; Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear/congenital* ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; Child, Preschool ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; Recurrence ; Cholesteatoma/congenital* ; Tympanoplasty ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To analyze the application efficacy of employing high-density porous polyethylene （Su-por） in combination with temporoparietal fascial flaps via a minimally invasive scalp incision in auricular reconstruction. Methods:This study carried out a retrospective analysis of 50 patients （50 ears in total） who underwentprimary auricular reconstruction with a Su-por scaffold in our hospital from June 2022 to January 2024. All patients underwent primary auricular reconstruction using a minimally invasive scalp incision with high-density porous polyethylene （Su-por） and temporoparietal fascial flaps. The postoperative treatment effects and complications were statistically analyzed. Results:The reconstructed ears of all patients survived. After 6 months of follow-up, the scar hyperplasia of the scalp minimally invasive incision was not obvious in any patient, and no significant hair loss was observed. The reconstructed auricle of 48 patients had a realistic shape and strong three-dimensional sense. With the extension of follow-up time, the three-dimensional structure of the auricle became clearer, and patient satisfaction increased. Among the remaining two patients, one case of flap necrosis survived after skin grafting and dressing changes. One patient had scar hyperplasia at the incision of the reconstructed ear due to a scar-prone constitution, and the shape of the auricle was not ideal, but the scar hyperplasia at the scalp incision was not obvious. Conclusion:One-stage ear reconstruction with high-density porous polyethylene （Su-por） combined with superficial temporal fascia flap through a minimally invasive scalp incision can better show the fine structure of the reconstructed ear. The minimally invasive scalp incision can effectively reduce the occurrence of scar hyperplasia and postoperative alopecia at the scalp incision.
Humans ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Flaps ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Polyethylene ; Ear Auricle/surgery* ; Male ; Scalp/surgery* ; Female ; Skin Transplantation ; Fascia/transplantation* ; Porosity ; Adult ; Middle Aged

Objective:Aural fullness（AF） is one of the common symptoms in ENT outpatient department, the incidence is about 1.4%. Some patients have an unknown etiology and are diagnosed as idiopathic ear congestion. In this paper, the therapeutic effect of gabapentin on some patients with idiopathic ear congestion was studied. Methods:Forty-eight cases of patients with ear distress as the main complaint between January 2024 and September 2024 were examined by questionnaire, specialist physical examination, pure tone audiometry and acoustic impedance. Among them, 19 cases were diagnosed with definite etiology, 29 cases were diagnosed with idiopathic ear congestion, and 7 cases were lost to follow-up in the idiopathic ear congestion group. Twenty-two patients were divided into the administration group（12 cases receiving regular gabapentin treatment for 3-6 weeks） and the control group（10 cases receiving no medication） based on whether they received gabapentin to explore the effect of ear congestion and possible related factors. Results:Among the 12 patients in the medication group, 2 cases of aural fullness disappeared completely, 9 cases had different degrees of relief, and 1 case had no relief Among the 10 patients in the control group, 2 patients' aural fullness disappeared, 1 patient consciously relieved, and the remaining 7 patients had no significant change in ear boredom. According to the Wong-baker Facial expression Scale, the score of ear tightness decreased from 2.83 before medication to 1.51 after medication in the medication group. The remission rate of ear congestion in the medication group was significantly higher than that in the control group（P=0.004）. Conclusion:Gabapentin can be used to treat idiopathic aural fullness, which can reduce the symptoms effectively. This suggests that the occurrence of idiopathic aural fullness may be related to neuralgia and central sensitization.
Humans ; Gabapentin/therapeutic use* ; Amines/therapeutic use* ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/therapeutic use* ; Female ; Male ; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids/therapeutic use* ; Ear Diseases/drug therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged

Objective:To evaluate the utility of the Rapid Axial Roll Test （RART）, Supine Roll Test （SRT）, and Lying-Down Test （LDT） in determining the affected semicircular canal in cases of horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo （HSC-BPPV）. Methods:A total of 330 patients diagnosed with HSCBPPV from September 2022 to September 2023 were collected and divided into three groups based on the different positional tests received: ①SRT Group, ②LDT+SRT Group, ③RART+SRT Group. The trial was divided into two stages: LDT/RART for patients in the first stage, and SRT for patients in the second stage. The elicitation rate of nystagmus among the three groups was compared to evaluate the accuracy in determining the affected semicircular canal in HSCBPPV. Results:Nystagmus was elicited in 84.55% （279/330） of the patients by positional tests. The elicitation rate of nystagmus in the RART+SRT/LDT group was 94.55% （104/110）, in the LDT+SRT group it was 84.11% （90/107）, and in the SRT group it was 69.91% （79/113）. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant （χ²= 23.88, P<0.001）. In the ② and ③ groups, there was a statistically significant difference in the elicitation rate of nystagmus between stage Ⅰ （patients with LDT or RART） （χ²=43.842, P<0.001）. SRT was performed in the stage Ⅱ, and there was a statistically significant difference in nystagmus extraction rate between the two groups （χ² =4.690, P=0.030）. The difference in the proportion of agreement between stage Ⅰ（LDT or RART） and stageⅡ （SRT） in determining the affected side of the semicircular canal was also statistically significant （χ² =40.502, P<0.001）. For patients with a consistent diagnosis of the affected semicircular canal, the difference in cure rate was not significant （P=0.149）. The Kappa statistic indicated substantial agreement between RART and SRT in terms of eliciting nystagmus （agreement 96.36%, Kappa = 0.730, P<0.001）. Conclusion:RART and SRT show a high degree of agreement regarding the elicitation rate of nystagmus. RART is simple and safe, and it can effectively induce the characteristic nystagmus of HSC-BPPV, accurately identify the responsible semicircular canal and provide a more optimized examination protocol for clinical practice in HSCBPPV.
Humans ; Semicircular Canals/physiopathology* ; Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo/diagnosis* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nystagmus, Pathologic/diagnosis* ; Vestibular Function Tests/methods* ; Aged ; Vertigo/diagnosis* ; Adult

Objective:To compare the changes in distortion product otoacoustic emission （DPOAE） test results in clinical patients with negative middle ear pressure after equalizing the pressure in the external canal and the middle ear cavity. This study aims to analyze the effect of negative middle ear pressure on otoacoustic emissions and investigate the correlation between the degree of negative middle ear pressure and the changes in amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio of DPOAE. Methods:Twenty-seven clinical patients were included, with 34 ears exhibiting negative middle ear pressure. Acoustic conductance tests, pure tone hearing threshold tests, and DPOAE tests were conducted under ambient pressure and peak pressure after equalizing the middle ear pressure for all tested ears. The amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio of DPOAE before and after compensating for middle ear pressure were recorded and statistically analyzed. Results:At 1.0 k Hz, 1.5 k Hz, and 8.0 k Hz, the DPOAE amplitude under ambient pressure was significantly higher than that under negative pressure （P<0.05）. A significant difference in the DPOAE signal-to-noise ratio was observed at 1.0 k Hz and 8.0 k Hz （P<0.05）. The difference in both amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio between these two test conditions was more pronounced at 1.0 k Hz （P<0.01）. There was no correlation between the negative pressure value from the tympanogram and the change in amplitude, with a weak negative correlation trend observed only at 0.75 k Hz （r=-0.328, P=0.054）. However, a significant negative correlation was found between the negative pressure value from the tympanogram and the change in signal-to-noise ratio at 0.75 k Hz （r=-0.366, P<0.05）. Conclusion:Compensating for middle ear pressure significantly improves the amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio of DPOAE in cases of negative middle ear pressure, particularly in the medium-frequency range. The smaller the degree of negative pressure in the middle ear, the weaker the effect of equalizing middle ear pressure is, especially in the low-frequency range.
Humans ; Ear, Middle/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Pressure ; Adolescent ; Aged ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio

Objective:To investigate the effects of the Epley and Semont procedures with varying lateral angles of the head on posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo （PC-BPPV）. Methods:A total of 115 patients with unilateral PC-BPPV were randomly divided into five groups: Epley group, Semont group, Semont+10° group, Semont+20° group, and Semont+30° group, with 23 patients in each group. Corresponding reduction treatments were performed. Results:The total effective rates for the Epley group, Semont group, Semont+10° group, Semont+20° group, and Semont+30° group were 95.7% （22/23）, 4.3% （1/23）, 30.4% （7/23）, 52.2% （12/23）, and 87.0% （20/23） respectively. The inefficiencies were 4.3% （1/23）, 95.7% （22/23）, 69.6% （16/23）, 47.8% （11/23）, and 13.0% （3/23）. Statistically significant differences were observed in the total effective rates among the five groups （χ²=54.11, P<0.01）. The total effective rates in the Semont group, Semont+10° group, and Semont+20° group were significantly different from that of the Epley group （P<0.01）, while no statistically significant difference was found between the Semont+30° group and the Epley group （P= 0.608>0.012 5）. Conclusion:Among the four Semont methods with different lateral lying angles, the total effective rate of reduction treatment increased with the elevation of the lateral lying angle on the affected side. The efficacy of the Semont+30° group in treating PC-BPPV was not significantly different from the Epley group's reduction effect, which was markedly superior to that of the other four Semont methods at different angles. Therefore, the Semont+30° reduction technique is recommended for the treatment of PC-BPPV.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo/therapy* ; Head ; Posture ; Semicircular Canals/physiopathology* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment methods of middle ear cholesteatoma with intracranial and extracranial complications as the first diagnosis. Methods:A total of 244 patients were initially diagnosed with intracranial and/or extracranial complications associated with middle ear cholesteatoma at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2015 to January 2022, and medical records were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Results:Among 244 patients with intracranial and extracranial complications of middle ear cholesteatoma, 203 cases had one complication, 34 cases had 2 complications, and 7 cases had 3 or more complications. One hundred and eighty-six cases presented labyrinthitis, 41 cases had peripheral facial paralysis, 27 cases had periauricular abscess, 12 cases had meningitis, 10 cases had brain abscess, 7 cases had sigmoid sinus lesions, 6 cases had epidural abscess, and 4 cases demonstrated hydrocephalus. Conclusion:The destructive nature of middle ear cholesteatoma can lead to intracranial and extracranial complications. The incidence rate of extracranial complications is highest for labyrinthitis. Patients with otitis media who complained dizziness should raise clinical suspicion for potential labyrinthitis. The second most prevalent extracranial complication is peripheral facial paralysis, and early facial nerve decompression surgery is critical for better recovery of facial paralysis symptoms. Brain abscess is the most common intracranial complications, which has the highest fatality rate. Clinicians should be alert to otogenic brain abscess. Otolaryngology and neurosurgery teams should cooperate and evaluate patients' middle ear lesions and brain abscess, and jointly develop personalized treatment plans.
Humans ; Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Facial Paralysis/etiology* ; Brain Abscess/diagnosis* ; Male ; Female ; Otitis Media/complications* ; Meningitis/etiology* ; Labyrinthitis/etiology* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult