Should race, ethnicity and ancestry be used as universal proxies for genetic, social and socioeconomic issues related to otolaryngology conditions? Background: Historically, race, ethnicity and ancestry have been associated with otolaryngology […]
Preservation of Residual Hearing after Cochlear Implant Using SMA
Is residual hearing preserved after cochlear implantation with the suprameatal approach (SMA) technique? And, is there an alternative analysis to document the conservation of hearing more accurately? Background: The SMA is […]
Best Practice in Tympanoplasty
Does concomitant mastoidectomy improve outcomes for patients undergoing repair of tympanic membrane perforations? Background: Controversy currently exists regarding the appropriate treatment of tympanic membrane perforations resulting from chronic suppurative otitis media […]
A Review of Contemporary Management of Vestibular Schwannomas
What are important parameters that should be considered in the treatment decisions for vestibular schwannomas? Background: The advent of stereotactic radiosurgery and its widespread use during the past decade have led […]
Increasing Evidence that PDE-5 Inhibitors Can Cause Hearing Loss
While recent reports show that phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors can cause sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), what is the global experience of this phenomenon? Background: SSHL has been reported after the ingestion […]
VR Simulator Training Improves Cadaveric Temporal Bone Dissection
Can supervised training with a virtual reality (VR) simulator improve performance in cadaver temporal bone dissection? Background: Cadaveric temporal bone dissection exercises are the cornerstones of otologic surgical training, but there […]
Socioeconomic Disparity Seen in Families of Hearing-Impaired Children
What are the disparities in socioeconomic status and health care utilization in hearing-impaired children? Background: Multiple barriers potentially contribute to health disparities experienced by children with hearing loss. These can include […]
Patients Report Long-Term Benefits with Bone-Anchored Hearing Device
For the long-term use of a bone-anchored hearing device for single-sided deafness or profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), what are the perceived benefits, complications and device malfunction rate? Background: For […]
High-Resolution CT and Diffusion-Weighted MRI Combo Improves Pediatric Cholesteatoma Detection
Does the technique of fusing MRI images with high-resolution CT images improve the efficiency of detecting recurrent cholesteatoma in children, in particular for small cholesteatomas? Background: Radiographic documentation of small recurrent […]
Hearing Conservation Program Helps Elementary School Children
What is the efficacy of a hearing conservation program in changing acoustic risk taking and hearing conservation behaviors in elementary school children? Background: Approximately 30 million North Americans have speech-frequency hearing […]