It is estimated that 32 million Americans have a hearing loss severe enough to cause problems with communication. The severity of this loss ranges from mild, in which the individual may have difficulty only when significant background noise is present,…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. The advances seen in cochlear implantation have been nothing short of remarkable. Although the first attempt to stimulate the auditory system electrically occurred over two centuries ago, the development…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. Overview Background Tumors of the facial nerve are rare causes of facial paralysis. The two most common tumors are facial nerve schwannomas (FNS), which are intrinsic to the nerve,…
The facial nerve may be injured by blunt and penetrating mechanisms. Common causes include motor vehicle accidents, stab or gunshot wounds to the face, and iatrogenic injuries during head, neck, and temporal bone surgical procedures. The primary mechanisms of injury…
Of the multitude of causes of facial paralysis, Bell’s palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome are two of the most common. Bell’s palsy alone accounts for almost three-quarters of all acute facial palsies. Although the diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome is…
If you listen carefully to the patient, they will tell you the diagnosis. William Osler Arguably, perilymph fistula (PLF) is the single most polarizing diagnosis in our specialty. As a resident at UCLA, I was taught that PLFs do not…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. As the incidence of otosclerosis declines, fewer surgeons acquire adequate experience in stapes surgery, and even fewer surgeons treat the problems of either complicated or unsuccessful stapedectomy. This chapter…
History In 1958, Shea advocated total stapes footplate removal when using the polyethylene strut prosthesis and a vein graft to seal the oval window. Shortly thereafter, Schuknecht advocated the use of a wire and fat prosthesis, and House and Greenfield…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. The surgical treatment of otosclerosis has been evolutionary in nature. Multiple techniques are now available to accomplish the same goal, which is illustrated by the number of chapters devoted…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. An encephalocele occurs when the brain tissue herniates through a dural defect of the skull. Temporal bone encephaloceles manifest either as a mass or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the…