Pneumococcal otitis media is associated with the production of potent inflammatory mediators (leukotrienes), but the mechanism by which pneumococcus induces production of leukotrienes in the middle ear is poorly understood. In this study, up-regulation of 2 genes that govern the lipoxygenase pathway, cPLA2 and 5-LOX, was observed in rats following inoculation of pneumococcus into the middle ear...

The Eustachian tube (ET) is a narrow canal that courses from the middle ear cavity to the nasopharynx, which opens to provide ventilation to the middle ear and to equalize middle ear and ambient pressures (1). In this article, we refer by “Eustachian tube dysfunction” only to obstructive ET dysfunction, i.e., failure to open and ventilate the middle ear, as opposed to patulous ET dysfunction, i...

BACKGROUND Total ossicular replacement prostheses (TORP) are often used to re-establish ossicular coupling of sound in an ear lacking a stapes supra-structure. The use of TORPs, however, is associated with a 2/3 five year failure rate due to their anatomic instability over time in the middle ear. The use of autologous fat to try and stabilize TORPs may improve long-term results with this challe...

otitis media with effusion (ome) is one of the most common causes of hearing loss (hl) in children. it has been reported that several factors such as eustachian tube dysfunction, insufficiencies in the aeration of the mastoid cells, allergies, immunity, and infections play an important role in the etiology of the disease. little is known about the role of helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) in extr...

OBJECTIVE To provide a detailed anatomic description of middle ear endoscopy via different approaches. METHOD Using 0, 30 and 90 degree rigid endoscopes, 6 dry temporal bones and 11 temporal bone blocks were examined to define the average range of view obtained by three approaches: 1. via the external ear canal approach; 2. via a retroauricular incision: including two subdivided routes, the m...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Determine if oral treatment with a vasoconstrictor decreases the blood to middle ear exchange rate of the perfusion-limited gas, nitrous oxide (N2O). STUDY DESIGN Randomized, double-blind, crossover study. METHODS Ten adult subjects with and 10 without past middle ear disease completed paired experimental sessions, identical except for oral treatment with either pseudo...

Children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are more likely to have hearing loss and are more susceptible to middle ear infections. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively measure middle ear function, using tympanometry, in perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV) and HIV-uninfected children living in Cape Town, South Africa.Hearing-related health questionnaire data were obtained ...

Intratympanic drug delivery refers to drug administration in the middle ear, the main advantage being direct diffusion of substances in the inner ear through the round window membrane with subsequent high intralabiryntine drug concentration and very low systemic side effects. The article is a review of literature concerning the inner ear barrier systems, the physiology of inner ear fluids, intr...

Objectives: Hearing impairment in children is considered as an important public health problem. Auditory function in these children is poor and depends on their hearing aids efficacy and also their ears’ status. Hearing aids are very expensive and ear disease deteriorates its performance. Therefore detecting the ear disease and offering proper treatment is necessary. The aim of this study is to...