The efficacy of statins as otoprotective agents: A systematic review

Objective: This systematic review examined the current literature, summarized research findings and identified research gaps regarding the efficacy of statins on audiological outcomes. Methods: Systematic search of electronic databases and grey literature was performed. Eligibility criteria was the study of a statin drug with report of audiological outcomes such as hearing, tinnitus, or balance in either human or animal studies. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two independently researchers. The characteristics of the study and research findings were collated and summarized. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity of the included studies.Results: Analysis of searches yielded 17 studies meeting the criteria. Included studies had variable drug type and dosage, outcome measures, and associated inner ear conditions. Most animal experiments showed promising audiological outcomes after statin treatment, demonstrated by the results of auditory brain stem response, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, and inner ear histology. However, no clear effect can be discerned in human trials due to the mixed results, and heterogeneity in research methodology and quality. Audiological outcomes were not always correlated with cholesterol levels. Conclusions: Statins remain a potential candidate as otoprotective agents which warrant further investigation

A case report of osteochondroma of the frontotemporosphenoidal suture.

Osteochondroma, also known as osteocartilaginous exostosis, is the most frequent benign bone tumour of the skeletal system. Despite its preference for long bones (tibia and femur), osteochondroma may occur in some short bones developing endochondral ossification. Seventy-five percent of the patients present only with a single lesion, whereas 25% have multiple lesions; this last clinical condition, defined as osteochondromatosis (disorder of autosomal dominant inheritance) shows a high risk of malignant transformation (about 11%). In the craniofacial area this tumour is very rare. The sites of predilection are the coronoid process and mandibular condyle, even though osteochondromas arising from the base of the skull, maxillary sinus and zygomatic arch have been previously described. However, an osteochondroma originating from the frontotemporosphenoidal suture has not been reported before in the literature. We present a unique case of osteochondroma of the frontotemporosphenoidal suture. Moreover, the relevant international literature has been reviewed and all diagnostic and surgical matters have been discussed

Nozioni di Audiologia

L'audiometria vocale consente una valutazione corretta della funzionalità di tutto il sistema uditivo ed anche delle strutture extrauditive,costituendo un test efficace nella diagnosi delle disfunzioni uditive superiori che si realizzano in presenza di patologie del SN