Otolaryngology’s ever-advancing frontier was on display at the Triological Society Combined Sections Meeting in a session on new developments in pediatric otology, hearing loss in adults, Eustachian tube treatment, and nerve monitoring during bilateral thyroidectomy.
Drug Delivery with Nanogel
Daniel Choo, MD, director of pediatric otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, said using nanogel could be a better way to deliver therapies to the inner ear. In cases of childhood hearing loss caused by a cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, prompt antiviral treatment can stabilize hearing or improve it, but more than 60% of children taking ganciclovir have to stop taking it or cut back on the dose because of Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia.
Standard application to the inner ear gives a quick peak in activity and doesn’t give the sustained response that’s needed, Dr. Choo said.