One of the most amazing transitions and innovations during the evolution of mammals was the formation of a novel jaw joint and the incorporation of the original jaw joint into the middle ear to create the unique mammalian three bone/ossicle ear. In this review, we look at the key steps that led to this change and other unusual features of the middle ear and how developmental biology has been pr...

OBJECTIVE To assess the results of tympanoplasty in children with primary ciliary dyskinesia complicated by tympanic perforation or cholesteatoma with hearing loss and/or recurrent otorrhea. DESIGN Retrospective study. Postoperative follow-up of 26.3 months in the type 1 tympanoplasty group and 46 months in the child with cholesteatoma. SETTING Hospitalized care, referral center. PATIENTS...

Birds are characterized by pneumatization of their skeletons by epithelial diverticula from larger, air-filled cavities. The diverticula-or ‘air sacs’-that invade the postcranium result from outgrowths of the lungs; postcranial pneumaticity has been very well studied. Much more poorly understood are the air sacs that pneumatize the skull. Study of craniofacial pneumaticity in modern birds (Neor...

INTRODUCTION Endoscopic-assisted microsurgery of the middle ear enables the field of view of the surgeon to be expanded during the removal of inflammatory tissue from the tympanic cavity and during myringo- and ossiculoplasty. Canal wall up tympanoplasty with posterior tympanotomy is a gold standard in surgical treatment of chronic otitis media. Most applications of endoscopy in middle ear surg...

BACKGROUND The main objective of this paper is to study the mechanical influence of the tympanic cavity (TC) in the auditory system (AS). It is done for a frequency range from 0.1 to 20 kHz and the pressure source was applied in the external ear canal (EEC) entrance. METHODS Numerical simulations were developed for seven different models by means of finite element model. On the basis of an EE...

BACKGROUND Tympanic thermometry has come as a suitable alternative to traditional thermometry because of its safety and ease of use. However, it is still yet to gain wide acceptance in African settings due to conflicting results on its accuracy, thus rectal thermometry remains the gold standard in the newborn. The aim of this study was to compare tympanic and rectal temperatures in term Nigeria...

Dear Editor, Tympanic membrane perforation is frequently encountered in outpatient otorhinolaryngology practice. We have introduced a treatment procedure to promote regeneration of the tympanic membrane and closure of perforations using an atelocollagen sponge/silicone membrane combined with human basic fibroblast growth factor that promotes wound healing. This report describes epithelial pearl...

Congenital cholesteatoma (CC) is a whitish mass lesion found in the middle ear cleft behind intact tympanic membrane early life. It relatively uncommon disease and shows its growth extension over period of time. CC evidenced with no prior history perforation, otorrhea, previous otologic procedures, normal pars tensa, flaccida. The etiopathogenesis still controversial; however, epithelial cell r...

The migration of squamous epithelium of external ear through a tympanic membrane perforation into the middle ear forms a cholesteatoma. But it is extremely a rare condition to observe extensive cholesteatoma on the medial surface of tympanic membrane with perforation. This condition is termed tympanic membrane cholesteatoma (TMC). We herein present an exceptional case of extensive TMC with marg...

BACKGROUND Application of one or several paper patches on the tympanic membrane can improve autophony and other symptoms in some patients with a patulous eustachian tube. METHOD The charts of 21 patients treated for patulous eustachian tube syndrome between 2006 and 2011 were studied for subjective improvement of symptoms following the application of paper patches. RESULTS Paper patching of...