Resistant bacteria in middle ear fluid at the time of tympanotomy tube surgery.

This study was performed to determine the prevalence of resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis isolated from middle ear fluid of children undergoing placement of ventilation tubes. The extent of resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics and the risk factors associated with this resistance were also examined. Children who had fluid present in their middle ears at the time of ventilation tube placement from May 1996 to May 1997 were included in the study. Middle ear fluid was plated onto culture media in the operating room, and antimicrobial resistance of cultured organisms was ascertained. Risk factors for this resistance were determined from the medical history and analyzed. Cultures of 244 patients (355 ears) were positive for organisms in 29.6%. Penicillin resistance was found in 38.2% of S pneumoniae cultures. Beta-lactamase production was found in 65.1% and 100% of H influenzae and M catarrhalis specimens, respectively. Risk factor analysis revealed young age, day care attendance, and number of antibiotic courses to most reliably predict the presence of resistant microorganisms.

Teratogenic hearing loss: a clinical perspective.

OBJECTIVE: The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing recently published a series of indicators that place a neonate at risk for hearing loss. Included among these risk factors are environmental teratogens capable of negatively impacting the developing auditory system. This article serves to revisit and update potential environmental teratogens. The characteristic clinical presentation with audiometric, electrophysiologic, and temporal bone findings as well as available treatment options are discussed. DATA SOURCES: A Medline search encompassing the latter half of this century was undertaken to review pertinent literature regarding infectious, chemical, physical, and maternal teratogens and their impact on hearing impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention and early recognition of environmental teratogenic exposure play a critical role in the reduction of childhood hearing loss and deafness. The importance of longitudinal follow-up in these patients is stressed.

Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions hearing screening in high-risk newborns.

Universal infant hearing screening has recently been recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Otoacoustic emissions have been proposed as the first-level screening technique. Although transient evoked otoacoustic emissions have shown limited applications, distortion-product otoacoustic emissions hold promise as a screening technique but have not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions as a hearing screening technique. A total of 208 ears of 104 infants at risk for hearing loss were tested with both automated auditory brain stem response and distortion-product otoacoustic emission screening protocols. Acoustic brain stem response results were used as the standard for normal hearing. Distortion-product otoacoustic emission results were analyzed by means of calculation of the difference between the mean of the response levels and the mean of the noise floor levels from five frequency pairs between 2000 and 4000 Hz. Pass-fail rates for response above noise floor criteria of 5, 10, and 15 dB were examined. The sensitivity of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions was 50%, 67%, and 87%, and the specificity was 94%, 68%, and 38% at the 5, 10, and 15 dB levels, respectively. The pass-fail criterion of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions should be based on instrumentation calibration, infant status, and an acceptable false-positive, false-negative yield. The ability to test rapidly the hearing of all infants with distortion-product otoacoustic emissions points to the feasibility of using this test as a first-stage screen.

Efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation.

The purpose of this study was to determine significant changes in the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores in patients before and within 1 year after a vestibular rehabilitation program. Efficacy of a vestibular rehabilitation program was tested retrospectively in 37 patients by comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment DHI scores. A significant improvement in test scores was found, indicated by the Sign test at the 0.05 level after vestibular rehabilitation. This difference is evident in the total score and in the functional and physical subscore component. Prerehabilitation and postrehabilitation differences among diagnostic categories were analyzed by using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Patients with peripheral lesions demonstrated greater improvement in the emotional component of the DHI as compared with patients with central or mixed lesions. The Wilcoxon two-sample test assessed the influence of compliance with a home exercise program after discharge from a vestibular physical therapy program. There was no significant difference in improvement between patients who performed home exercises for at least a month after discharge and those who did not.

Tube placement: a prospective, randomized double-blind study.

Bilateral myringotomy with tympanostomy tube placement is the second most frequently performed pediatric surgical procedure, next to circumcision. Postoperative pain relief for children undergoing this procedure has been an ongoing concern. The authors undertook a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study in 200 consecutive children to investigate the efficacy of oral acetaminophen, acetaminophen with codeine, ibuprofen, and placebo administered preoperatively in relieving postoperative pain in children undergoing this procedure. All children received topical analgesia consisting of antibiotic eardrops mixed with 4% lidocaine intraoperatively. There was no significant difference in postoperative pain score between the four groups (P > 0.4447). Thus it is likely that the intraoperative administration of antibiotic eardrops mixed with 4% lidocaine is all that is required to alleviate postoperative pain in children undergoing myringotomy with tympanostomy tube placement. Preoperative oral analgesics are apparently of little added benefit.

Endolymphatic system shunting: a long-term profile of the Denver Inner Ear Shunt.

Endolymphatic system surgery for Meniere's disease, particularly endolymphatic shunting, remains controversial. In 1988, we presented our findings on the efficacy of the Denver Inner Ear Shunt in 100 patients. These data were accumulated in the short term. The purpose of this article is to review the long-term results of our endolymphatic shunt procedure, highlighting the population of Denver Inner Ear Shunt recipients. Results were analyzed according to both 1972 and 1985 AAO-HNS criteria. We seek corroboration or refutation of our preliminary conclusion that (a) endolymphatic shunt surgery has little efficacy and that (b) the Denver valve does not appear to offer any advantage in this regard.

The effect of very early cleft palate closure on the need for ventilation tubes in the first years of life.

The otologic consequences associated with cleft palates are well known. Closure of palatal clefts within the first weeks of life has many potential benefits, including improved feeding and cosmesis. The potential otologic benefits of very early closure are not known. Eighteen newborns have undergone closure of their palatal clefts within the first month of life with subsequent otolaryngology follow-up through our craniofacial center. Thirteen (72%) of the 18 still required placement of ventilation tubes during their first 3 years of life because of persistent effusion (for more than 120 days) or recurrent infection (more than four episodes in 6 months or more than six episodes in 12 months). Very early cleft palate closure may not significantly alter the need for ventilation tubes in children with palatal clefts.

Teratogenic hearing loss.

Congenital hearing loss continues to be a devastating and disabling affliction in our society. In an effort to promote early recognition and treatment of hearing impairment in children, the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing has established a series of risk factors that place a newborn or infant at risk for hearing loss. These factors have been selected based on either genetic evidence of inherited familial hearing loss, acquired hearing loss from either known or unknown causative agents, or multifactorial inheritance that combines genetic and non-genetic factors. Included in these risk factors are exposures to environmental agents that possess the potential to adversely affect the developing auditory system. In this article, the principal environmental teratogens and their potential impact upon the auditory system will be reviewed.

The natural history of untreated acoustic neuromas.

The emergence of magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium has dramatically enhanced our ability to accurately detect the presence of acoustic tumors as small as 2 mm in diameter. Early diagnosis and improved surgical techniques continue to reduce the morbidity associated with surgical removal of these lesions. There exists, however, a select group of patients in whom no treatment may be the most appropriate management. Since 1979, a total of 51 patients with radiographic evidence of an acoustic neuroma have been prospectively followed for tumor growth and progression of symptoms. Patients were chosen for this conservative approach on the basis of age, medical condition, tumor size, audiometric data, and patient preference. This study reveals that a significant number of patients with acoustic tumors can be safely followed with regular imaging studies and may never require treatment. Discussed are tumor growth rates, epidemiology, and the impact of these factors on patient management.

Facial nerve neuromas presenting as acoustic tumors.

Facial nerve tumors can present as masses in the internal auditory canal or cerebellopontine angle and may mimic an acoustic neuroma. These tumors can occur in any segment of the nerve from the brain stem to the neuromuscular junction. Prior to the advent of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium, facial nerve tumors were often difficult to diagnose. Even with these modalities it may be difficult to distinguish preoperatively between an acoustic neuroma and a facial schwannoma. Particular signs and symptoms associated with facial nerve tumors (in the spasms, and a facial tic. These symptoms, combined with modem radiologic studies, should allow for more accurate diagnosis, patient counseling, and treatment. This report presents a series of 32 facial nerve tumors diagnosed and treated at The Otology Group from 1975 to 1992. Of these lesions, 12 (38%) were thought to be acoustic neuromas. Eighteen tumors were correctly identified preoperatively as facial nerve tumors. Two facial nerve tumors were found incidentally.

Defect reconstruction and cerebrospinal fluid management in neurotologic skull base tumors with intracranial extension.

Intracranial extension (ICE) is the spread of tumor into the subarachnoid space through dura or along cranial nerve roots. The single-stage removal of the skull base tumor with its ICE has been confounded by cerebrospinal fluid management and defect reconstruction. The purpose of this report is to review a current protocol for managing the cranial base tumor and its ICE as a unit. The ventricular shunting paper of 1987 is retracted. All tumors were managed at a single stage. Defect reconstruction was size dependent. Ninety-eight neurotologic skull base tumors with ICE were managed from 1971 to 1991. The new protocol was initiated in 1987. Results specific to this group are highlighted. For glomus tumors, cerebrospinal fluid leak rates have been dramatically reduced overall from 14.5% to 4%. The leak rates for nonglomus tumors, overall, have improved slightly. Complications are discussed. The development of this surgical approach protocol improves the functional outcome in patients of surgeons who aspire to disease "cure" rather than "control."

Extranodal American Burkitt's lymphoma of the head and neck.

Burkitt's lymphoma was first described in 1958 as a mandibular malignancy found in African children. The American, or nonendemic, form of the disease differs from the African form in that the tumor most often presents with abdominal or bone marrow involvement. Head and neck manifestations of American Burkitt's lymphoma are encountered in less than a quarter of the reported cases and usually present as cervical adenopathy. A review of all cases of American Burkitt's lymphoma treated at the UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Calif, from 1971 to 1989 revealed an unusual subset of seven patients with American Burkitt's lymphoma of the head and neck who presented with extranodal disease of the soft tissues or bones of the face. The medical literature was reviewed to compile similar cases of extranodal American Burkitt's lymphoma. The clinical and pathologic features of these cases, their radiographic findings, and treatment are described.

Midline nasal destruction in cocaine abusers.

Idiopathic midline destructive disease (IMDD) is a diagnosis of exclusion in patients who manifest midline nasal necrosis with no specific etiology such as infection, tumor, or Wegener's granulomatosis. Recently, a group of cocaine abusers has been identified that manifests a syndrome that mimics IMDD, but is less fulminant in its course. To better define the natural history of this syndrome, we reviewed the medical records, radiographs, and pathologic material from five such patients treated at the University of California, Los Angeles. Other causes of midline nasal destruction were excluded in each patient on the basis of histopathology, cultures, and laboratory tests. Biopsy material, available in four patients, demonstrated inflammation and necrosis without vasculitis. Treatment was conservative in four of the five patients, using antibiotics, local care, debridement, and cessation of cocaine use. During the follow-up period, progressive disease developed in one of the five patients, requiring radiation and steroid therapy. We conclude that the treatment of midline nasal destruction in cocaine abusers should initially be conservative, once other etiologies have been systematically excluded.

First place--Resident Clinical Science Award 1990. Suppression of lymphokine-activated killer cell cytotoxicity by a soluble factor produced by squamous tumors of the head and neck.

Incubation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in the presence of interleukin-2 results in the generation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells that are highly cytotoxic to a variety of autologous and allogenic tumor targets. We have identified a noncytotoxic, soluble factor, produced by human squamous cell cancers of the head and neck, that profoundly inhibits the generation of LAK cytotoxicity. Inhibition of the generation of cytotoxicity was demonstrated with coculture of PBL and freshly disaggregated tumor cells in a Transwell two-chamber system. Alternatively, inhibition occurred when LAK cells were generated in the presence of tumor-conditioned supernatants alone. These effects were not observed with conditioned supernatants from autologous or allogenic lymphocytes, human fibroblasts, or the erythroleukemia cell line K562. The presence of this inhibitory factor(s) was not required during the entire period of LAK generation. Suppression of cytotoxicity, measured after 4 days of LAK generation, could also be demonstrated when the conditioned tumor supernatant was present in only the last 24 hours of incubation. Suppression is mediated by a heat-labile factor with a molecular weight of greater than 75 kd. These results suggest that LAK cytotoxicity may be significantly impaired by soluble immunoregulatory factors present within the tumor milieu of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. Further characterization of these factors may lead to the development of more rational and effective forms of immunotherapy.

Reconstruction of massive defects of the scalp, cranium, and dura after resection of scalp neoplasms.

Massive defects of the scalp, cranium, and dura can be covered with local rotation, transposition scalp flaps. Five cases of massive defects of up to 300 square centimeters resulting from resection of scalp neoplasms were reconstructed by this technique. Excellent cosmetic and functional results were obtained in all cases. Although the emphasis in the recent literature has been on free flap coverage of these massive defects, our series demonstrates that these extensive scalp defects can be reconstructed using large local scalp flap transposition.

Occult primary tumors. The management of isolated submandibular lymph node metastases.

The management of patients with cervical metastases from unknown primary tumors presents a therapeutic challenge to both the head and neck surgeon and radiotherapist. If after careful search the primary tumor remains truly occult, traditional methods of radiotherapy encompassing fields from the base of skull to clavicles are often employed, with significant attendant morbidity. To determine if more limited therapy would be effective in cases of isolated regional lymph node metastases, the patterns of tumor spread to nodes in the submandibular region were studied. A retrospective analysis of 472 radical neck specimens obtained from 1975 to 1985 revealed 19 cases (4.0%) of cervical metastases limited to the submandibular triangle. Sources of these tumors included lip (3), buccal mucosa (4), nasal vestibule (1), floor of mouth (4), alveolar ridge (3), oral tongue (1), and unknown (3). It appears that solitary submandibular nodal metastases predominantly arise from sites in the oral or nasal cavity. This suggests that in patients with isolated submandibular lymph node metastases from occult primary sites, a more conservative therapeutic approach to potential primary sites is indicated after treatment of the metastatic focus.