Fast Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering Tensor Tomography: An Outlook into Future Applications in Life Sciences.

Small Angle-X-ray Scattering Tensor Tomography (SAS-TT) is a relatively new but powerful technique for studying the multiscale architecture of hierarchical structures particularly relevant to life science applications. Currently, the technique is very demanding on synchrotron beamtime, which limits its applications, especially for cases requiring a statistically relevant number of samples. This study reports the first SAS-TT measurement at a macromolecular X-ray crystallography beamline, PX-I at the Swiss Light Source (SLS), with an improvement in acquisition time from 96 h/Mvoxel in the pilot experiments to 6 h/Mvoxel with comparable sampling, defining a new standard for fast SAS-TT with a micrometer beam size and allowing to record a full tomogram in 1.

Steroid-eluting stents in challenging frontal sinus surgery: A critical real world experience.

Objectives: This study investigates the impact of placing steroid-eluting stents in the frontal sinus outflow tract on the need for postoperative interventions and postoperative changes in symptoms.

Methods: We performed a retrospective case-control study between January 2018 and December 2022 in 21 patients in each group with and without a steroid-eluting stent placed in the frontal sinus outflow tract. The outcome between the two groups was investigated regarding the need for revision surgery and changes in pre- and postoperative symptoms.

Endoscopic ossiculoplasty: audiological and surgical outcomes from a multicenter experience with 292 cases.

Purpose: To evaluate surgical and audiological outcomes of different endoscopic ossiculoplasty (endo-OPL) techniques and prosthesis materials.

Methods: In this multicenter retrospective study, 292 patients underwent endo-OPL for various ossicular chain pathologies at three university hospitals between 2017 and 2023. We analyzed pre- and postoperative hearing metrics, perforation characteristics, surgical procedures, prosthesis types, and complication rates.

High-resolution prosthetic hearing with a soft auditory brainstem implant in macaques.

Individuals with compromised cochlear nerves are ineligible for cochlear implants and instead rely on auditory brainstem implants (ABIs). Most users of ABIs experience sound awareness, which aids in lip reading, yet not speech intelligibility. Here we engineered a dual-site (brainstem and cortex) implantable system, scaled to macaque anatomy, for the analysis of auditory perception evoked by electrical stimulation of the cochlear nucleus.

Comparison of Thiel-fixed and fresh-frozen temporal bon biomechanics with dynamic synchrotron-based X-ray imaging.

Background: The Thiel embalming method offers lifelike tissue preservation, yet its suitability for biomechanical studies remains debated.

Methods: Here, we investigated two human temporal bones, one Thiel-fixed and one fresh-frozen, using dynamic synchrotron-based X-ray imaging under acoustic stimulation.

Findings: Both specimens exhibited a linear response at the umbo, but the Thiel-fixed specimen displayed discontinuity after the incudo-malleolar joint, suggesting ossicular chain stiffening.

The Sheep Head Versus the Pig Head as a Training Model for Sialendoscopy.

Objective: Sialendoscopy is a minimally invasive technique for treating inflammatory salivary gland diseases, requiring hands-on training due to its steep learning curve. While pig heads have been the standard training model for over two decades, sheep heads have recently emerged as an alternative. This study evaluates the efficiency of sheep heads for sialendoscopy training in newcomers.

Quality of Information Provided by Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Surrounding the Management of Vestibular Schwannomas: A Comparative Analysis Between ChatGPT-4 and Claude 2.

Objective: To examine the quality of information provided by artificial intelligence platforms ChatGPT-4 and Claude 2 surrounding the management of vestibular schwannomas.

Study Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Skull base surgeons were involved from different centers and countries.

[ORL : what's new in 2024].

This article highlights recent advancements in otorhinolaryngology. It reviews innovations in managing sudden sensory-neural hearing loss through low-dose glucocorticoid treatments and explores pediatric audiology breakthroughs, particularly gene therapy for DFNB9 deafness. In speech pathology and oncology, a new minimally invasive robotic surgical approach enhances organ preservation for head and neck cancers.

Dynamic X-ray Microtomography vs. Laser-Doppler Vibrometry: A Comparative Study.

Purpose: There are challenges in understanding the biomechanics of the human middle ear, and established methods for studying this system show significant limitations. In this study, we evaluate a novel dynamic imaging technique based on synchrotron X-ray microtomography designed to assess the biomechanical properties of the human middle ear by comparing it to laser-Doppler vibrometry (LDV).

Methods: We examined three fresh-frozen temporal bones (TB), two donated by white males and one by a Black female, using dynamic synchrotron-based X-ray microtomography for 256 and 512 Hz, stimulated at 110 dB and 120 dB sound pressure level (SPL).

A Novel Training Model to Improve Diagnostic Accuracy of Cervical Fine-Needle Aspiration.

Introduction: This study aims to improve the diagnostic yield of cervical fine-needle aspiration (FNA) through training on a novel liver model. Ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA) is crucial for diagnosing head and neck lumps but requires meticulous execution. Limited resources often hinder systematic teaching, making practical models essential for training.

ChatGPT Generated Otorhinolaryngology Multiple-Choice Questions: Quality, Psychometric Properties, and Suitability for Assessments.

Objective: To explore Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer's (ChatGPT's) capability to create multiple-choice questions about otorhinolaryngology (ORL).

Study Design: Experimental question generation and exam simulation.

Setting: Tertiary academic center.

Dynamic X-ray Microtomography vs. Laser-Doppler Vibrometry: A Comparative Study.

Purpose: There are challenges in understanding the biomechanics of the human middle ear, and established methods for studying this system show significant limitations. In this study, we evaluate a novel dynamic imaging technique based on synchrotron X-ray microtomography designed to assess the biomechanical properties of the human middle ear by comparing it to laser-Doppler vibrometry (LDV).

Methods: We examined three fresh-frozen temporal bones (TB) using dynamic synchrotron-based X-ray microtomography for 256 Hz and 512 Hz, stimulated at 110 dB and 120 dB SPL.

Characterizing bone density pattern and porosity in the human ossicular chain using synchrotron microtomography.

The auditory ossicles amplify and transmit sound from the environment to the inner ear. The distribution of bone mineral density is crucial for the proper functioning of sound transmission as the ossicles are suspended in an air-filled chamber. However, little is known about the distribution of bone mineral density along the human ossicular chain and within individual ossicles.

Follow-up strategies in pediatric cholesteatoma: a systematic review.

Purpose: The aim of this article was to systematically review the literature on the pediatric population surgically treated for cholesteatoma and describe the applied post-operative follow-up strategies.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Primary Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement recommendations. After running the selected search string in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar, studies in English, reporting on surgically treated pediatric cholesteatoma patients (age younger or equal to 18 year-old) were retrieved.

Development and Evaluation of a Reusable, Force Measuring Tool for the Robot-Assisted Insertion of Cochlear Implant Electrode Arrays.

Objective: Limitations in human kinematics during cochlear implantation induce pressure transients and increased forces on intracochlear structures. Herein, we present a novel head-mounted surgical tool designed for the motorized insertion of cochlear implant electrode arrays. The tool integrates a force measurement feature to overcome the lack of haptic feedback in current robotic solutions.

Survival from Rhino-Orbital-Cerebral Mucormycosis in SARS-CoV-2-Positive Diabetic Patients: Two Case Reports.

Introduction: Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) is a rare angioinvasive fungal infection known to be associated with high morbidity and over 50% mortality. ROCM is becoming more common due to an increase in predisposing immunocompromising comorbidities as well as COVID-19.

Case Presentations: We report 2 cases - a 75-year-old woman with diabetes and a 39-year-old man with recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis.

Vestibular Schwannoma: Long-term Outcome of the Vestibular Function After Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Objective: Evaluation at long term of the impact of the stereotactic surgery (SRS) on the vestibular function in vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients.

Study Design And Setting: Retrospective study in a tertiary referral center.

Patients: Fifty-one VS patients were included (34 females;17 males), aged from 41 to 78 years treated exclusively with SRS.

The human middle ear in motion: 3D visualization and quantification using dynamic synchrotron-based X-ray imaging.

The characterization of the vibrations of the middle ear ossicles during sound transmission is a focal point in clinical research. However, the small size of the structures, their micrometer-scale movement, and the deep-seated position of the middle ear within the temporal bone make these types of measurements extremely challenging. In this work, dynamic synchrotron-based X-ray phase-contrast microtomography is used on acoustically stimulated intact human ears, allowing for the three-dimensional visualization of entire human eardrums and ossicular chains in motion.

To detach or not to detach the umbo in type I tympanoplasty: functional results.

Purpose: To compare the audiological outcomes, tympanic membrane (TM) healing rates and complication rates in patients undergoing endoscopic underlay and over-under tympanoplasty type I (TTI).

Methods: The study includes 95 patients who underwent endoscopic TTI in the period between 2018 and 2023: 56% of the patients had the underlay technique and 41% had the over-under technique. Data regarding pre- and postoperative hearing, perforation characteristics, surgical procedures, graft types and complications were retrospectively analyzed.

Evaluating temporal bone column density for optimized bone conduction implant placement.

Introduction: An optimal placement of bone conduction implants can provide more efficient mechanical transmission to the cochlea if placed in regions with greater bone column density. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis and to determine the clinical potential of preoperative bone column density assessment for optimal implant placement.

Methods: Five complete cadaver heads were scanned with quantitative computed tomography imaging to create topographic maps of bone density based on the column density index (CODI).

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic: increase in complicated upper respiratory tract infections requiring ENT surgery?

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on complicated upper respiratory tract infections requiring surgical intervention in a tertiary referral center. The aim is to understand the consequences of pandemic-related measures and their subsequent relaxation on the incidence and characteristics of upper respiratory tract infection-related complications.

Methods: Patients who underwent surgery as a complication of upper respiratory tract infections between December 2014 to February 2023 were included.