Cochlear implant: indications, contraindications and complications

Cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf. CI represents the current treatment for patients affected by profound sensorineu- ral hearing loss (SNHL). At first times, only deaf adults were considered to be candidates for a CI; however, with the development of technology and gained experience by pshycians, indications for cochlear implan- tation have been expanded. Today, CIs are implanted also in children and broader indications are followed. There are, however, a number of patients who are potential candidates for CI but do not completely fulfill the current indications. Residual hearing and duration of deafness represent prognostic indicators for CI per- formance; however, prelingually deafened adults and children with residual hearing are still point at issue. Anatomical variations such as cochlear malformation, ossification and chronic otitis media still represent a contraindication to CI for some surgeons. Although the technology for cochlear implant surgery is advanc- ing everyday, there may be several complications related to the device or operation and some of them can be healed only with medical therapy but some are serious enough to process to reimplantation. In this arti- cle the indications and contraindications for cochlear implant candidates and complications that may occur during or after the operation were reviewed under the light of the literature

Genetics of Nonsyndromic Congenital Hearing Loss

Congenital hearing impairment affects nearly 1 in every 1000 live births and is the most frequent birth defect in developed societies. Hereditary types of hearing loss account for more than 50% of all congenital sensorineural hearing loss cases and are caused by genetic mutations. HL can be either nonsyndromic, which is restricted to the inner ear, or syndromic, a part of multiple anomalies affecting the body. Nonsyndromic HL can be categorised by mode of inheritance, such as autosomal dominant (called DFNA), autosomal recessive (DFNB), mitochondrial, and X-linked (DFN). To date, 125 deafness loci have been reported in the literature: 58 DFNA loci, 63 DFNB loci, and 4 X-linked loci. Mutations in genes that control the adhesion of hair cells, intracellular transport, neurotransmitter release, ionic hemeostasis, and cytoskeleton of hair cells can lead to malfunctions of the cochlea and inner ear. In recent years, with the increase in studies about genes involved in congenital hearing loss, genetic counselling and treatment options have emerged and increased in availability. This paper presents an overview of the currently known genes associated with nonsyndromic congenital hearing loss and mutations in the inner ear

Tegmen Tympani Defect and Brain Herniation Secondary to Mastoid Surgery: Case Presentation

Brain herniation into the middle ear is very rarely seen. In addition to reasons like congenital factors, trauma, and infection, tegmen defect may develop as a result of iatrogenic events secondary to chronic otitis media surgery with or without cholesteatoma. Since it may cause life-threatening complications, patients must be evaluated and monitored for tegmen defect. In this paper, diagnosis and treatment of a brain herniation case due to iatrogenic tegmen defect were described along with relevant literature

The effect of Nigella sativa oil on prevention of myringosclerosis in a Guinea pig model

Objectives: In this study, our aim was to identify the possible effects of Nigella sativa L. (NS) [blackcumin] seed oil on the prevention of experimentally induced myringosclerosis (MS)

Carotid Sheath Abscess Caused by a Tooth Decay Infection on the Opposite Side

Deep neck infections are mortal diseases that need emergency treatment. It can occur at any age but usually in pediatric ages. In this report, a left cervical carotid space abscess of a pediatric patient was discussed. It was interesting that the only origin of the left carotid sheath abscess was right inferior first molar tooth decay. Right neck spaces were all clean. Patient had no immunosupression and also there were no congenital masses such as branchial cleft cysts, foreign bodies, or masses suspicious for malignancies in cervical ultrasound and MRI. We discussed this rare condition under the light of the literature