Sudden deafness and tuning fork tests: towards optimal utilisation.

The tuning fork tests have been under attack since their first use in clinical examination. However, the tuning fork is small and fits into every white coat, and tuning fork tests for hearing are easy, accurate and inexpensive. They should be used in patients with an acute unilateral hearing loss if an electric audiometer is not available. After more than 100 years, the tuning fork is not obsolete; tuning fork tests are very useful if used correctly and for the appropriate indication.

Treatment of Eustachian tube dysfunction with balloon dilation: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Balloon dilation is a new entity in the therapeutic approach of Eustachian tube dysfunction. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the success of balloon dilation of the tuba auditiva in reducing symptoms in adult patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction. DATA SOURCES: Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library. REVIEW METHODS: The systematic literature search was conducted independently by two authors based on title and abstracts, and resulted in 36 articles. These articles were screened as full text, 15 of them were eligible for critical appraisal. Data were extracted from selected studies and presented in this article. A meta-analysis was conducted for four subgroups. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was used as a writing guideline for this systematic review. RESULTS: All 15 included studies were case series. A total of 1,155 patients were treated with balloon dilation of the tuba auditiva. Outcome parameters were relief of symptoms, otoscopy, Valsalva maneuver or Toynbee test, audiometry, tympanometry, Eustachian tube dysfunction classification, and Eustachian tube score. All articles showed short-term improvement of original symptoms; some showed further improvement over time. Follow-up ranged from just after therapy to 50 months. Relatively mild and self-limiting complications were described in 36 patients. CONCLUSION: All current studies suggest that balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube can be a helpful treatment in patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction. However, placebo controlled trials are still warranted. Laryngoscope, 128:237-247, 2018.

Combination therapy is preferable for patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To critically appraise the topic, questioning whether administering antiviral medication in case of Ramsay Hunt syndrome improves the restoration of facial nerve function. METHODS: We reviewed the literature on this subject and calculated the odds ratios for the different treatment modalities. RESULTS: Our study clearly shows that antiviral medication in combination with corticosteroids improves the outcome for patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. CONCLUSION: Contrary to a recent Cochrane Library review, we conclude that patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome should be treated with combination therapy including antivirals.

Do magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound add anything to the preoperative workup of parotid gland tumors?

PURPOSE: To assess the additional value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US) to physical examination (PE) and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the preoperative determination of the location and histology of parotid gland tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospectively, 99 patients with 77 benign and 22 malignant lesions were included; 82 underwent parotidectomy. FNAC was performed in 88 patients. On PE, the location of the tumor was predicted. Eighty-nine patients had MRI and 47 US. Various characteristics and the presumed diagnosis were assessed. Furthermore, the location of the tumor in relation to the facial nerve was predicted. The results were compared with the definite histology and the location during surgery. RESULTS: Of the MRI characteristics, incomplete demarcation from normal parotid gland tissue showed the highest positive predictive value (PPV) for malignancy of 0.48. Of the US characteristics, enlarged lymph nodes yielded the highest PPV for malignancy of 0.5. Cytology correctly predicted the benign or malignant nature of the tumor in all cases. Superficial location was well predicted on PE with a PPV of 0.8, slightly better on MRI (PPV of 0.87), and worse on US (PPV of 0.7). CONCLUSION: FNAC is the only accurate investigation for classifying a parotid gland tumor as benign or malignant. Palpation and MRI are superior to US in predicting tumor location. Because the results for palpation and MRI are almost equal, MRI should only be reserved for specific cases, and not routinely requested.