Journal Reviews
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...
Robotic insertion of electrode array in cochlear implantation
Cochlear implants (CIs) are commonly used for profound bilateral hearing loss. They have specific national guidance for their insertion, however patients with a substantial residual acoustic hearing are potential CI candidates. Preservation of this residual hearing can be sought with...
Which scan for children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss? Keeping the debate going…
There have been years of debate about the appropriate imaging strategy for children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. For those children undergoing cochlear implant surgery, CT may provide some assistance to surgical planning, although this is not necessary in children...
Audiometric outcomes following endoscopic stapes surgery
Adding to the evidence base for endoscopic stapes surgery, this systematic review and analysis of outcomes sought to establish the efficacy and safety of this approach. This review included 14 studies with a pooled sample of 314 adult patients. The...
Possible correlation of ABR changes with prognosis in sudden sensorineural hearing loss
A sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) of 30dB or more affecting at least three frequencies and occurring over less than three days is classified as ‘sudden’ SNHL (SSNHL). Treatment is urgently undertaken with systemic and/or intra-tympanic steroids, and ijn some cases...
Genetic testing in congenital hearing loss
Advances in genetic testing over the last decade have reduced the cost and time such testing required and increased understanding of the genes involved in conditions like congenital hearing loss. This study from Atlanta looks at genetic testing from a...
Cochlear implants with an absent or hypoplastic cochlear nerve?
The cornerstone of successful cochlear implantation has been the presence of a population of cochlear nerve endings which are able to mount a neural response to electrical stimulation. The authors of this paper present their experience of five children with...
