Despite advances in imaging and other diagnostic tests, it is often impossible to establish with confidence a pre-operative diagnosis in a patient with a conductive hearing loss.

We studied a series of 340 exploratory tympanotomies for conductive hearing loss carried out by a single surgeon.

The most common operative diagnosis was otosclerosis (n = 164, 48.2 per cent). Ossicular discontinuity was found more commonly than previously reported (n = 103, 30.3 per cent). A small but significant number of patients were found to have cholesteatoma (n = 7.2 per cent).

This information is of value when discussing potential findings at surgery for conductive hearing loss. While otosclerosis is the commonest finding in such cases, a significant number of patients have defects of the ossicular chain.

Inverted nasal papilloma is a benign tumour with variable biological behaviour. It is a unique neoplasm and is often difficult to manage, being characterised by a tendency to recur following excision, an association with malignancy and an ability to destroy bone. Radiological diagnosis has traditionally been based on computed tomography, but it is often impossible to differentiate between polyps with entrapped debris and inverted nasal papilloma. Magnetic resonance imaging, especially T2-weighted images, is perhaps a better tool in differentiating inverted nasal papilloma from other nasal lesions, and has recently been advocated as the imaging modality of choice.

To review the evidence on the ideal imaging modality for pre-operative planning of surgery for patients with histologically proven inverted nasal papilloma.

A systematic review of studies was undertaken, focusing on radiological assessment of inverted nasal papilloma (primary and recurrent). All English language articles were potentially included in the review. However, we excluded single case reports, case series, pictorial essays, ‘teaching’ reviews and reviews of inverted nasal papilloma not focusing on pre-operative imaging.

Sixteen studies were identified based on our search strategy. Only 10 fulfilled our criteria. Computed tomography scanning was the standard imaging modality of choice for assessing sinus involvement of inverted papilloma and for planning the extent of surgery. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans were able to distinguish tumour (intermediate signal) from inflammatory tissues (bright signal), but not post-operative scarring from recurrent tumour. No studies were found which compared the specificity and sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in the accurate pre-operative identification of the extent of inverted papilloma.

There is currently not enough evidence to suggest one sole modality as providing optimum imaging for inverted nasal papilloma. Computed tomography remains the imaging modality of first choice for inverted nasal papilloma, despite certain disadvantages. Magnetic resonance imaging is able to distinguish tumour from inflammation and is advocated as a better tool for recurrent tumour, but bone destruction of sinus walls is less easy to recognise, compared with computed tomography. Evaluation of sinus tumours usually involves both imaging modalities, and inverted nasal papilloma should be included within this pathological group. The cohort of patients is usually small, so cost-effectiveness should not generally be an issue when considering whether to use computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or both. A well structured, prospective study is needed to evaluate the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging versus computed tomography for pre-operative planning of histologically proven inverted nasal papilloma.

This study aimed to ascertain the usefulness of the bone-anchored hearing aid and its impact on the quality of life of patients fitted in Glasgow between 1996 and 2006.

The Entific Medical Systems questionnaire and the Glasgow Benefit Inventory were posted to patients in order to assess their satisfaction and quality of life changes.

Sixty adult patients were identified, with a questionnaire response rate of 63 per cent. Thirty-two respondents (85 per cent) reported using their bone-anchored hearing aid for more than eight hours per day. Twenty-nine respondents (75 per cent) found their bone-anchored hearing aid to be generally better than their previous, conventional aid. Twenty-seven respondents (71 per cent) reported that their bone-anchored hearing aid improved their quality of life. The median total Glasgow Benefit Inventory score was +33.3.

Bone-anchored hearing aid usage rates and satisfaction levels were high amongst patients in Glasgow. Glasgow Benefit Inventory indices were comparable to published findings from other centres. Despite this, bone-anchored hearing aid funding is still not universally available within the National Health Service in Scotland.

To determine whether epithelial migration in the atelectatic tympanic membrane (secondary to any pathology) occurs in a similar fashion to that in the normal (non-pathological) tympanic membrane, by calculating and comparing the epithelial migration rate and pattern.

Prospective, non-randomised, case–control study. This study was a pilot study. We included patients with an atelectatic pars tensa region of the tympanic membrane and a healthy contralateral tympanic membrane (the latter used as the control).

Otorhinolaryngology out-patient clinic. The study was conducted from January 2006 to January 2008.

A total of 40 patients (80 ears) were included based on their otoscopic appearance and tympanography findings. All patients' ears were examined under an operating microscope. A dot of methylene blue dye was applied in the immediate vicinity of the umbo of the atelectatic tympanic membrane, and in the same position on the tympanic membrane of the control ear. Patients were then followed up weekly until the dye dot had migrated to reach the annulus.

Direction and rate of epithelial migration.

In the atelectatic tympanic membranes, epithelial migration proceeded from the centre of the retraction pocket toward the annulus in a lateral, radiating manner. Thirty-three (82.5 per cent) of the 40 patients showed a similar migratory pattern in both the study and control ears. Sixty per cent of the retracted tympanic membranes showed no migration in the first week after methylene blue staining. After the first week, the migration rate was nearly constant from the umbo towards the periphery, in both the study and control ears. The mean daily epithelial migration rate in the study and control ears was 62.6 and 64.7 µm/day, respectively; however, this difference was statistically insignificant (p = 0.202, independent samples t-test).

There is no difference in the epithelial migration rate or pattern, comparing atelectatic tympanic membranes and normal tympanic membranes. However, there may be a significant difference in the epithelial migration rate with increased grades of tympanic membrane atelectasis.

The effectiveness of autologous fat injection laryngoplasty may be reduced by resorption of injected fat tissue. The aim of the present study was to clarify the efficacy of fat injection laryngoplasty using autologous fat plus a replication-defective adenoviral vector expressing hepatocyte growth factor, regarding reduction of injected fat tissue resorption.

Four female beagle dogs were used in this study. After sedation, a direct laryngoscope was introduced to enable visualisation of the larynx. In each dog, harvested autologous fat plus an adenoviral vector expressing hepatocyte growth factor was injected into the right true vocal fold, and harvested fat plus an adenoviral vector expressing no gene was injected into the left true vocal fold. A total laryngectomy was performed one year after the intracordal fat injection. Coronal sections of the resected whole larynges were made and the following parameters assessed using light and electron microscopy: size of fat area; number of vasculoendothelial cells surrounding adipocytes; and shape of injected adipocytes in the vocal fold.

The fat area was significantly larger and the number of vasculoendothelial cells surrounding adipocytes significantly greater in the intracordal fat injection containing adenoviral vector expressing hepatocyte growth factor, compared with the control intracordal fat injection containing adenoviral vector expressing no gene. When viewed under electron microscopy, the injected adipocytes were observed to have grafted better in the intracordal fat injection with hepatocyte growth factor adenoviral vector, compared with the control intracordal fat injection with adenoviral vector expressing no gene.

Injection into the vocal fold of autologous fat containing an adenoviral vector expressing hepatocyte growth factor can reduce subsequent resorption of injected fat.

To assess the antibacterial and antifungal properties of human cerumen by studying its effect on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Esherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans.

Cerumen samples were collected from 75 normal, healthy subjects aged from seven to 80 years, without ear pathology, who attended the ear, nose and throat out-patient clinic of the University Malaya Medical Center from May 2006 to October 2006. Of these 75 samples, 31 had no growth when cultured on nutrient agar. Inhibition studies on these 31 samples were performed for Staphylococcus aureus (American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 25923), Esherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and Candida albicans. Nutrient agar was used to conserve all three bacterial strains and Sabouraud dextrose agar was used for Candida albicans.

A decrease in Staphylococcus aureus growth was observed for 27 of the 31 samples. All 31 samples induced decreased growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while 29 induced decreased growth of Candida albicans. However, only four samples induced decreased growth of Escherichia coli.

Cerumen was demonstrated to have potential antimicrobial effects on strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans.

We report an extremely rare case of malignant triton tumour.

Case report and review of the world literature concerning malignant triton tumour and heredity.

We present the case of a 47-year-old woman who underwent a lateral rhinotomy surgical resection of a malignant triton tumour of the right paranasal sinuses, a rare location for this tumour. Thereafter, she received adjuvant radiotherapy. The prognosis for this group of tumours is poor. Radical surgical excision of the tumour followed by radiation therapy must be the treatment of choice.

To our knowledge, this is a rare report in the world literature of malignant triton tumour. This case indicates that malignant triton tumour of the paranasal sinuses is a rare disease which otolaryngologists should be aware of, and one which should be included in the differential diagnosis of malignant lesions involving the sinonasal tract.

To study the effects of hypobaric pressure chamber exposure on the cochlear frequency selectivity of subjects with monaural, fluctuating, low-frequency hearing loss, such as occurs in Ménière's disease.

We used a hypobaric pressure chamber to create relative underpressure in the ear canal, in order to impose positive pressure gradients on the inner ear. Psychophysical tuning curves, transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions and speech recognition scores in noise were measured in 10 subjects with fluctuating, low-frequency hearing loss, before and after pressure exposure.

After the exposure, subjects’ overall pure tone averages showed no improvement, but individual results showed improved speech recognition scores in noise (six subjects), increased transiently evoked otoacoustic emission strength (three subjects) and increased psychophysical tuning curve steepness (two subjects). Deteriorations were also seen, mainly in psychophysical tuning curves. No association could be established between the different tests, and the measured parameters could not predict subjective improvement.

The results suggest variable effects of hypobaric pressure exposure on inner-ear physiology.

The literature on delays in vestibular schwannoma diagnosis is from the era before the routine use of magnetic resonance imaging. We evaluated such diagnostic delays and their impact on tumour size and on pre- and post-treatment morbidity, in a relatively recent patient series.

Retrospective review.

A two-centre study was conducted, including 91 consecutive vestibular schwannoma patients diagnosed between 1992 and 2006. Data on the presenting symptom and the initial medical visit were obtained from primary care records completed at the time of the initial visit; data on the tumour and the clinical course were obtained from review of the hospital chart. Data on diagnostic delays were available for 59 patients.

The median patient, professional and total diagnostic delays were three, four and 14 months, respectively. Unilateral hearing loss as the presenting symptom predicted an lengthened total diagnostic delay. Diagnostic delay had no impact on the tumour size at time of diagnosis or on the pre- and post-treatment morbidity.

Delays in the diagnosis of vestibular schwannoma have shortened since the introduction of magnetic resonance imaging. Longer diagnostic delays do not seem to have significant consequences.

To obtain information on the success rate of tympanoplasty with concomitant myringosclerosis.

The medical records of 40 children with myringosclerosis (23 girls, 17 boys; age range six to 16 years, mean age 9.85 years) who had undergone primary tympanoplasty were retrospectively studied. Surgical success was defined as the perforation remaining closed 12 months post-operatively.

Sclerotic plaques occupied whole remnant eardrums in 17 patients, and were located in various parts of the eardrum in 23. Tympanosclerosis associated with myringosclerosis was present in six patients. The success rate of primary tympanoplasty was 92.5 per cent. All three surgical failures were observed in girls with marginal perforations. These children underwent successful revision procedures for their residual perforations, variously at four, eight and 10 months after the initial surgery.

Appropriate freshening of the perforation edges, with removal of sclerotic plaques, can result in a high rate of successful closure of perforated tympanic membrane with coexisting myringosclerosis.

Accurate assessment of the features of tympanic membrane perforation, especially size, site, duration and aetiology, is important, as it enables optimum management.

To describe a simple, cheap and effective method of quantitatively analysing tympanic membrane perforations.

The system described comprises a video-otoscope (capable of generating still and video images of the tympanic membrane), adapted via a universal serial bus box to a computer screen, with images analysed using the Image J geometrical analysis software package. The reproducibility of results and their correlation with conventional otoscopic methods of estimation were tested statistically with the paired t-test and correlational tests, using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 11 software.

The following equation was generated: P/T × 100 per cent = percentage perforation, where P is the area (in pixels2) of the tympanic membrane perforation and T is the total area (in pixels2) for the entire tympanic membrane (including the perforation). Illustrations are shown. Comparison of blinded data on tympanic membrane perforation area obtained independently from assessments by two trained otologists, of comparative years of experience, using the video-otoscopy system described, showed similar findings, with strong correlations devoid of inter-observer error (p = 0.000, r = 1). Comparison with conventional otoscopic assessment also indicated significant correlation, comparing results for two trained otologists, but some inter-observer variation was present (p = 0.000, r = 0.896). Correlation between the two methods for each of the otologists was also highly significant (p = 0.000).

A computer-adapted video-otoscope, with images analysed by Image J software, represents a cheap, reliable, technology-driven, clinical method of quantitative analysis of tympanic membrane perforations and injuries.

Hearing sensitivity usually diminishes with noise exposure. In the present study, we examined the effect of 93 dB(A) wide band noise on cochlear micromechanical sensitivity in awake guinea pigs.

Animals were randomly assigned to groups receiving either single or repeated noise exposure. Distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitudes were recorded before, during and after noise exposure.

Ninety-three decibel(A) wide band noise reduced the distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitudes at all tested frequencies. The distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitudes for higher frequencies showed a permanent reduction, whereas those for lower frequencies showed a temporary reduction. Distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitudes for middle frequencies showed prolonged enhancement after repeated noise exposure.

Our results suggest that (1) it is likely that there are intermediate stages between permanent threshold shift and temporary threshold shift, and (2) long-term enhancement of distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitudes may be an indication of tinnitus generation.

To evaluate hearing results following intratympanic gentamicin perfusion in patients with Ménière's disease.

Middle-ear perfusion of 0.4 ml of gentamicin 40 mg/ml solution was performed in Ménière's disease patients who had previously failed to respond to other medical treatment.

Between May 1999 and November 2005, 22 patients (mean age 58.5 years) underwent intratympanic gentamicin perfusion. Mean follow up was 30 months. At the first post-perfusion visit (four to six weeks following perfusion), three of the 22 patients (13.63 per cent) had a pure tone average improvement of at least 10 dB, 15 (68.18 per cent) showed no change and four (18.18 per cent) demonstrated a decrease in hearing of more than 10 dB. Regarding speech discrimination scores, one patient (4.54 per cent) exhibited an improvement of at least 15 per cent, 15 (68.18 per cent) showed no change and six (27.27 per cent) showed a decrease of at least 15 per cent. After long-term follow up (12–40 months following perfusion), 10 patients (45.45 per cent) showed stable hearing, and 12 (54.54 per cent) exhibited a pure tone average decrease of more than 10 dB. Six patients (27.27 per cent) showed a speech discrimination score decrease of at least 15 per cent, while 16 (72.72 per cent) had no change. Complete cessation of vertigo was reported by 20 of the 22 patients (90.9 per cent), while two (9.09 per cent) reported episodic vertigo spells.

Intratympanic gentamicin perfusion provides effective control of vertigo in patients with Ménière's disease. However, significant hearing loss may occur immediately after perfusion; therefore, this treatment should be considered only for patients whose hearing has already been affected by the disease.

To evaluate the quality of out-of-hours ENT on-call cover by junior doctors, in view of the European Working Time Directive and the recent changes in the National Health Service workforce due to the ‘Modernising Medical Careers’ initiative, in England.

We performed a national survey of first-on-call doctors for ENT, using a telephone questionnaire. Hospital contact details were sourced from the National Health Service website. The inclusion criterion was hospitals providing acute ENT facilities overnight in England.

One hundred and nineteen hospitals were contacted; 91 were eligible, and 83 interviews were conducted. The grade of the first-on-call ENT doctor ranged from foundation year two (19 per cent) to registrar level or above (13 per cent). Forty-nine respondents (68 per cent) reported having no previous ENT experience. Fifty-three respondents (74 per cent) covered more than one speciality at night, with seven (10 per cent) covering four or more specialities. The second-on-call doctor was non-resident in 63 cases (88 per cent). Thirty respondents (42 per cent) stated that they did not feel comfortable managing common ENT emergencies as the first doctor on call. Otorhinolaryngology induction courses were offered in 37 of the respondents’ hospitals (51 per cent), these courses were of varying duration.

Night-time ENT care is often provided by junior doctors with little experience of the speciality, who are often also responsible for covering multiple specialities. Many reported not feeling comfortable managing common ENT emergencies. Structured induction programmes would help to provide basic knowledge and should be mandatory for all doctors covering ENT.

Although most studies on animal ototoxicity employ scanning electron microscopy, all cochlear structures may be identified with light microscopy. This paper describes a simple method of histological assessment of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in rats, and relates morphological changes to functional changes in hearing detected by distortion product evoked otoacoustic emissions.

Male Wistar rats were injected with 8 mg/kg/day cisplatin, or with an equivalent volume of saline solution, for three consecutive days. They underwent distortion product evoked otoacoustic emission testing at baseline and at 24 or 48 hours after the last administration. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed and their cochleae were retrieved and prepared for haematoxylin and eosin staining.

A four-point scoring system was used to grade injury to the external ciliated cells, as indicated by the number of cells absent from the basal turn of the cochlear duct. A four-point scoring system was also used to grade stria vascularis injury, as indicated by the degree of shrinkage of the intermediate cells. Scores were significantly higher in groups treated with cisplatin compared with controls. Morphological changes were confirmed by decreased distortion product evoked otoacoustic emission amplitudes in animals treated with cisplatin.

This method is simple to perform with routine histology equipment and is appropriate for the study of acute, cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in rats.

We had previously treated patients with advanced stage laryngeal cancer by laryngectomy with or without post-operative radiotherapy. In order to improve such patients' quality of life, we sought to preserve the larynx by selective (intra-arterial), rapid infusion chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy.

Chemotherapy was administered intra-arterially in the angiography suite via transfemoral catheterisation of the superior thyroid artery. Patients received up to four once-weekly infusions of cisplatin (75 mg/patient) with simultaneous intravenous administration of sodium thiosulphate, a neutralising agent. Patients also received external radiation simultaneously at a dose of 1.8 or 2.0 Gy per fraction, once daily for five days a week for 7 weeks.

Intra-arterial infusion chemo-radiotherapy was performed in eight patients with advanced laryngeal carcinoma (four glottic, three supraglottic and one subglottic type carcinoma). A complete response was achieved at the primary site and at lymph node metastases in all eight patients. Overall toxic side effects were modest. No catheter-related thrombo-embolic complications were observed during any of the chemotherapy sessions.

Selective (intra-arterial), rapid infusion chemo-radiotherapy may enable laryngeal preservation in patients with advanced laryngeal carcinoma.