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OBJECTIVE: The authors report the results of a survey of members of the American Otological Society (AOS) and the American Neurotology Society (ANS) regarding their use of prostheses currently available for ossiculoplasty and stapedectomy. These findings are compared with a similar study presented by one of the authors in 1989. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to the entire membership of the AOS and ANS with questions regarding biomaterial and prosthesis usage for stapes and chronic ear surgery, as well as satisfaction with each type of prosthesis used. Of the 575 questionnaires mailed, 274 (47%) were returned. Only 248 of the respondents performed middle ear surgery (43%), and their responses constitute the database for this study. RESULTS: For those respondents performing stapes surgery in both 1989 and 1999, the mean number of cases per year has increased from 32 to 37 (p < or = 0.004). The mean number of chronic ear cases has also increased from 95 in 1989 to 110 in 1999 (p < or = 0.001). As a biomaterial, hydroxyapatite prostheses are used by most surgeons (82%), followed by autograft and homograft bone (72%), autograft and homograft cartilage (62%), and Plastipore (59%). (Although 62% of respondents use cartilage, only 4.4% ranked it first in preference.) In 1989, bone was used most (93%), followed by cartilage (78%) and Plastipore (81%). Hydroxyapatite, which had just been introduced as a biomaterial, was used by only 9% of respondents. For stapes prostheses in 1999, the majority of respondents used stainless steel/platinum (71%), bucket handle (69%), or partial fluoroplastic (56%) prostheses. There was a high overall satisfaction rate in the use of most of these prostheses (> 85%), with several exceptions. The lowest satisfaction rate was 71% for Plastipore partial ossicular replacement prosthesis and total ossicular replacement prosthesis. Usage and satisfaction rates are presented for specific types of implants and compared with the earlier survey findings. CONCLUSION: The current use of implants in middle ear surgery demonstrates a specific pattern with a high degree of user satisfaction. The preference for implants by respondents has remained stable over the past 10 years; there has been a decrease in the percentage of use of bone, cartilage, and Plastipore with a corresponding increase in the use of hydroxyapatite.

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PURPOSE: This study evaluated long-term results in patients who had ossicular reconstruction with a Goldenberg hydroxylapatite implant. METHODS: A total of 233 patients underwent implantation; of these, 77 had 5-year or longer follow-up and are the subjects of this study of long-term hearing results. All 233 patients were included for analysis of extrusion rate and postoperative otorrhea. RESULTS: The hearing success rate at long-term follow-up was 56.8%; the mean air-bone gap was 21.1 dB. Prosthesis extrusion occurred in 5.29% of the 233 patients, and visible slippage occurred in 7.7%. Overall, 50. 6% of patients met the criteria for successful hearing, which included no extrusion and a dry ear. Better hearing before surgery and presence of the malleus long process were factors associated with a successful hearing result, as was tympanoplasty alone and canal wall up tympanomastoidectomy. CONCLUSION: Hydroxylapatite hybrid prostheses provide stable hearing results over time with low extrusion and a dry ear overall.

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PURPOSE: Findings of a prior study indicated that neither choice of pre- versus postoperative bone-conduction scores nor choice of frequencies to include in averaging makes a substantial difference in reported outcomes of chronic ear surgery. METHODS: In this study, audiologic data from 240 stapes surgery patients at three different institutions were used to generate a variety of outcome measures. RESULTS: Use of preoperative rather than postoperative bone-conduction values in computing postoperative air-bone gap resulted in an approximately 5-dB smaller mean gap and a 2% higher success rate. Frequencies included in averaging made little difference in mean computed air-bone gap, although success rate (gap < or = 10 dB) was lower by 6% when 4 kHz was used in a four-frequency average rather than 3 kHz. Results for air conduction were similar to those for air-bone gap regarding choice of frequencies to include in averaging. When we used air-conduction pure-tone average (PTA) as the outcome measure, those with normal preoperative sensorineural hearing had a > 20% higher success rate than the general population of patients with stapes surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The greatest differences in success rate were based on definition of and criteria for success. Success rate was higher when based on air-bone gap than when based on air-conduction PTA. As in the prior chronic ear study, differences in outcome were more drastically affected by criteria for "success" than by frequencies included. Unlike similar data from chronic ear surgery, however, success rate differed depending on choice of air-bone gap or air-conduction PTA as the definition for success. Further, air and bone scores from the same test interval must be used accurately to reflect air-bone gap in stapes surgery.

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In a prior study, findings indicated that when reporting results of chronic ear surgery, neither choice of pre-versus postoperative bone-conduction scores nor choice of frequencies to include a averaging makes a substantial difference in reported outcome. In this study, audiologic data from 240 stapes-surgery patients at three different institutions were used to generate a variety of outcome measures. Use of preoperative rather than postoperative bone-conduction values in computing postoperative air-bone gap resulted in an approximately 5-dB smaller mean gap and a 2% higher success rate. Frequencies included in averaging made little difference in mean computed air-bone gap, although success rate (gap < 10 dB) was lower by 6% when 4 kHz was used in a four-frequency average rather than 3 kHz. Results for air conduction were similar to those for air-bone gap regarding choice of frequencies to include in averaging. When using air-conduction pure-tone average (PTA) as the outcome measure, those with normal preoperative sensorineural hearing had a > 20% higher success rate than the general population of stapes-surgery patients. The greatest differences in success rate were based on definition of and criteria for success. Success rate was higher when based on air-bone gap than when based on air-conduction PTA. As in the prior chronic ear study, differences in outcome were more drastically affected by criteria for "success" than by frequencies included. Unlike similar data from chronic ear surgery, however, success rate differed depending on choice of air-bone gap or air-conduction PTA as the definition for success. Further, air and bone scores from the same test interval must be used to accurately reflect air-bone gap in stapes surgery.

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Choice of outcome measure in reporting hearing results following otologic surgery, including the frequencies used and use of pre- or postoperative bone thresholds, varies from author to author. In this study, data from 550 ossicular reconstruction and pediatric tympanoplasty surgery patients were used to generate a variety of outcome measures, including pure-tone thresholds for frequencies from 0.5 kHz to 8 kHz and different frequency combination pure-tone averages (PTAs) and air-bone gaps. There were no significant differences between mean pre- and postoperative bone conduction thresholds for any of the frequencies from 0.5 to 4 kHz nor for a PTA of 1, 2, and 4 kHz. Mean postoperative air-bone gap differed by no more than 2 dB across six different frequency combination PTAs. If "success" is defined as a postoperative air-bone gap of less than 20 dB, the largest difference in success rate across the six frequency combinations was 5%. There was also little difference in mean postoperative air conduction PTAs for any of the combinations that include frequencies through 4 kHz. Choice of a more conservative or more liberal definition of success was more important than whether air-bone gap or air conduction PTA was used. The authors recommend that a standard reporting procedure be adopted that ensures presentation of the results in a format such that more direct comparisons can be made within the published literature.

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This article discusses the design of a composite prosthesis developed from a desire to combine the advantages of two synthetic materials. Hydroxyapatite can be used directly against the tympanic membrane, and Plastipore can be easily trimmed intraoperatively. The need for any human tissue can be eliminated; hearing results and extrusion rates appear comparable to other implants commonly used.

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The use of hydroxylapatite for ossicular chain reconstruction is increasing. In this study, hearing results and extrusion rate for 157 consecutive patients receiving hydroxylapatite prostheses were evaluated. Results were compared to those of a control group of patients who had received either homograft bone or Plasti-Pore prostheses. Four (2.6%) cases of extrusion have occurred. Hearing success was defined as a postoperative puretone average air-bone gap of < or = 15 dB for incus prostheses and partial ossicular replacement prostheses (PORPs) or < or = 25 dB for incus-stapes prostheses and total ossicular reconstruction prostheses (TORPs). Overall success rate in the hydroxylapatite group was 51.4% for the 140 patients with postoperative data (mean follow-up, 11.5 months) and 46.7% for 90 patients who were followed for more than 6 months (mean follow-up, 16 months). PORP results were significantly poorer than those of the other prostheses. The success rate for the control group was 58.6% for 58 patients. The difference between hydroxylapatite and control group success rates appears to be due to the poorer results of the hydroxylapatite PORP.

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Pneumocystis carinii is the opportunistic pathogen frequently causing pneumonitis in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Extrapulmonic manifestation of P carinii is unusual and is commonly associated with severe systemic illness, other immune deficiency status, malignancy, or immune suppression. We describe a case of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with manifestations of P carinii otitis media with severe otalgia and conductive hearing loss.

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Between 1987 and 1991, I have used 215 hydroxylapatite middle ear implants, in various styles, for hearing reconstruction. The first such implants were composed entirely of hydroxylapatite. Because of intraoperative difficulties in shaping and trimming these prostheses, hybrid prostheses using Plasti-Pore were developed. For each of four implant designs (incus, incus-stapes, PORP, and TORP), the head is constructed from hydroxylapatite and the shaft from Plasti-Pore. Extrusion rate for the hybrid prostheses is low (4.3%). Hearing results from 47 patients with the hybrid hydroxylapatite prostheses, 140 patients with total hydroxylapatite prostheses, and 75 control group patients with homograft bone or Plasti-Pore prostheses were compared. A "successful" hearing result was achieved in 51.1%, 51.4%, and 60.0% of the three groups, respectively. Surgical technique for use of the new hybrid hydroxylapatite prostheses is described.

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Hearing results and extrusion rate for 89 consecutive patients receiving hydroxylapatite prostheses for hearing reconstruction were evaluated and compared to a control group of 75 patients who had received homograft bone or Plasti-Pore prostheses. At the 3-month follow-up, there were no cases of extrusion of the hydroxylapatite prostheses. Hearing success was defined as a postoperative air-bone gap of less than or equal to 15 dB for incus prostheses and partial ossicular replacement prostheses or less than or equal to 25 dB for incus-stapes prostheses and total ossicular replacement prostheses. There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution-of-success rate by prosthesis type for the hydroxylapatite. Incus, incus-stapes, and total ossicular replacement prosthesis results were similar, but partial ossicular replacement prosthesis results were poorer. The overall success rate in the hydroxylapatite group was 51.2%; in the control group, it was 60%. Hearing results tended to be better with the hydroxylapatite incus prosthesis than with the homograft bone incus, but poorer with the hydroxylapatite partial ossicular replacement prosthesis than with the Plasti-Pore. Several technical modifications of the prosthesis that may improve results with the hydroxylapatite partial ossicular replacement prosthesis are suggested. Hydroxylapatite middle ear prostheses appear to be a reasonable alternative to other more commonly used prostheses, which carry disadvantages related to the use of human tissue.

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In 1983, results of a 5-year study using the endolymphatic mastoid shunt for treatment of Menière's disease were reported. Forty-eight patients were followed for between 1 and 5 years postoperatively, and 81% obtained satisfactory relief of vertigo. In the present analysis, 24 of these patients responded to a questionnaire, participated in a direct interview, and completed audiometric evaluations at 7 to 11 years after surgery. Eighty-three percent of these patients reported satisfactory relief of their vertigo. Results for hearing, tinnitus, and limitation of activities also varied little between the initial study and this longer-term follow-up. Studies with shorter follow-up appear valid in predicting longer-term results. These findings support the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery's recommendation of a 2-year follow-up period for reporting results of therapy for Menière's disease.

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Although it is rarely seen now, lateral sinus thrombosis may occur in either its septic or aseptic form. Septic lateral sinus thrombosis is a potentially fatal condition in which early diagnosis may be difficult because of previous antibiotic therapy. Once diagnosis is made, combined antibiotic and surgical treatment is necessary to keep the mortality rate at 25%. Aseptic lateral sinus thrombosis is a condition that is rarely fatal but that leads to symptoms of severe headache and visual impairment. The increased intracranial pressure is associated with a blockage of the dominant sinus (usually the right one). The decision to use medical treatment alone or to combine it with surgical treatment must depend on the clinical features of each case.

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This paper presents the surgical anatomy of the skull base and infratemporal fossa. The information has been derived from the author's own experience in surgical and cadaver dissection, standard anatomical references, and selected experience of other skull base surgeons. Because the lateral approach has become the utilitarian method of exposure, the intricate detailed anatomy is demonstrated from this view at five levels of dissection, so the surgeon may gain a practical understanding of the surgical relationship of critical structures. Consistent anatomical landmarks can be used by the surgeon in the location of these critical structures. The styloid process, sphenoidal spine, and middle meningeal artery identify the internal carotid artery as it enters the carotid canal. The bony or fibrous septum that divides the jugular foramen into neural and vascular compartments may be used to better identify nerves IX, X, and XI. The zygomatic root is useful for location of the middle fossa dura. The lateral pterygoid plate leads directly to the foramen ovale. The increased precision of dissection permitted by use of the microscope requires an increased level of knowledge of anatomical structures in this area. It is hoped that the information presented in this paper will assist surgeons in the meticulous and thorough removal of skull base tumors and in the preservation of neural and vascular structures that are presently being sacrificed.

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Meniere's disease is the classic triad of fluctuating hearing loss, episodic vertigo, and severe tinnitus. It usually occurs unilaterally, although about 15% to 20% of patients may have bilateral disease. The disease involves a series of acute exacerbations followed by a period of remission; it progresses until the ear has essentially "burned itself out," causing symptoms to subside. Treatment of Meniere's disease should be tailored to the severity of symptoms and the patient's life-style. Initial treatment involves conservative medical management and psychologic support. If this fails, endolymphatic shunt surgery is effective in alleviating symptom in the majority of patients.

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