Prevalence of occult cochlear basal turn patency.

BACKGROUND: Perilymph gusher (PLG) is a rare complication of otologic surgery attributed to a communication between the cochlea and the internal auditory canal (IAC). Subtle patency between the cochlear basal turn and IAC has recently been identified on computed tomography (CT) as a risk factor, specifically when the defect is > 0.75 mm. OBJECTIVES: Investigate the prevalence of radiographic cochlear basal turn patency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with CT of the temporal bones and inner ears interpreted as "normal" were included. An otologist and a radiologist independently reviewed CTs to measure radiographic dehiscence in an oblique plane along the interface of the cochlea and IAC. Known PLGs were excluded. RESULTS: Two hundred and ten ears were included (88 conductive or mixed hearing loss, 62 sensorineural hearing loss, 41 audiometrically normal ears). 71 ears (33.8%) were radiographically patent. Mean defect width was 0.41 mm (0.15-0.7 mm). Defect width was not associated with type of hearing loss, age, or gender. No defects were wider than 0.75 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Radiographic patency of the cochlear basal turn may be present in patients with hearing loss and normal hearing, but patency > 0.75 mm (i.e. risk for PLG) is rare.

Cochlear basal turn patency in unrecognized perilymph gushers.

OBJECTIVES: Perilymph gusher (PLG), an uncommon complication of otologic surgery, has been attributed to communication between the cochlea and the internal auditory canal (IAC). Subtle osseous defects may be missed on routine review of computed tomography (CT). This study aimed to quantify cochlear basal turn patency not seen on axial CT in patients with PLG and compare those against patients without intraoperative PLG. METHODS: Ears that underwent cochlear implantation or stapedotomy with preoperative helical CT that was interpreted as "normal" at a tertiary referral center. An otologist and a radiologist independently and in a blinded fashion measured the dimensions of cochlear basal turn patency on CT images in oblique plane and parasagittal planes along the interface of the cochlea and IAC fundus. RESULTS: Sixty-one ears were reviewed, including 3 with surgically confirmed PLGs and 12 with apparent dehiscence without a PLG. Mean defect width with PLG was 0.83 mm (range 0.75-0.9 mm) and without PLG was 0.43 mm (range 0.3-0.65 mm, p = 0.011). A greater proportion of PLGs occurred in ears with defects (3 of 15) than in ears without (0 of 46, p = 0.013). Using a cutoff of 0.75 mm, a greater proportion of PLGs occurred with defect width >0.75 mm (3 of 3) than in defects <0.75 mm (0 of 12, p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: CT dehiscence between the IAC and cochlear basal turn, particularly with a width > 0.75 mm, should be considered a risk for PLG with stapedotomy or cochlear implantation.

Resident Rounds Part III: Case Report: Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma in an African American Female.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the most common skin cancer diagnosed in African Americans.1 Twenty to forty percent of cSCCs reported in African Americans are related to chronic scarring processes or areas of in ammation.2 Risk factors for developing cSCCs in patients of color include chronic scars resulting from burns, skin ulcers, and radiation sites; and chronic inflammatory diseases such as discoid lupus and hidradenitis suppuritiva.1 Although skin cancer only accounts for 1% to 2% of cancers diagnosed within African Americans, it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in this population.1,3 Significant delays in diagnosis and treatment are largely thought to be responsible for this prognostic incongruity. The rate of metastasis in patients of color is 31%, compared with only 4% in Caucasians.4,5 Early recognition by physicians and increased awareness resulting in preventative measures by patients may decrease this noted disparity. J Drugs Dermatol. 2016;16(1):81-84..

Altered functional MR imaging language activation in elderly individuals with cerebral leukoaraiosis.

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that leukoaraiosis alters functional activation during a semantic decision language task. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With institutional review board approval and written informed consent, 18 right-handed, cognitively healthy elderly participants with an aggregate leukoaraiosis lesion volume of more than 25 cm(3) and 18 age-matched control participants with less than 5 cm(3) of leukoaraiosis underwent functional MR imaging to allow comparison of activation during semantic decisions with that during visual perceptual decisions. Brain statistical maps were derived from the general linear model. Spatially normalized group t maps were created from individual contrast images. A cluster extent threshold of 215 voxels was used to correct for multiple comparisons. Intergroup random effects analysis was performed. Language laterality indexes were calculated for each participant. RESULTS: In control participants, semantic decisions activated the bilateral visual cortex, left posteroinferior temporal lobe, left posterior cingulate gyrus, left frontal lobe expressive language regions, and left basal ganglia. Visual perceptual decisions activated the right parietal and posterior temporal lobes. Participants with leukoaraiosis showed reduced activation in all regions associated with semantic decisions; however, activation associated with visual perceptual decisions increased in extent. Intergroup analysis showed significant activation decreases in the left anterior occipital lobe (P=.016), right posterior temporal lobe (P=.048), and right basal ganglia (P=.009) in particpants with leukoariosis. Individual participant laterality indexes showed a strong trend (P=.059) toward greater left lateralization in the leukoaraiosis group. CONCLUSION: Moderate leukoaraiosis is associated with atypical functional activation during semantic decision tasks. Consequently, leukoaraiosis is an important confounding variable in functional MR imaging studies of elderly individuals.