There is no consensus in the literature regarding the relationship between high-resolution computed tomography findings and hearing thresholds in pure-tone audiometry in otosclerosis. This study evaluated the association between high-resolution computed tomography findings and pure-tone audiometry in otosclerosis in the spongiotic phase.

A cross-sectional study was conducted of 57 ears with surgically confirmed stapes fixation and tomographic findings. Air conduction and bone conduction thresholds on audiometry, and air–bone gap, were analysed.

There were no correlations between sites affected by otospongiosis and air conduction threshold, bone conduction threshold or air–bone gap in the analysed tomographic images, but the diameter of the otospongiotic focus was greater in the presence of extension of the otospongiotic foci to the cochlear endosteum.

There were no relevant associations between high-resolution computed tomography findings and pure-tone audiometric measurements. However, the diameter of the otospongiotic focus was greater in the presence of extension of the otospongiotic foci to the cochlear endosteum.

To examine the effects of mastoid and middle-ear volume on the anatomical and functional success of type 1 tympanoplasty in paediatric patients.

This study included 45 paediatric patients who underwent type 1 cartilage tympanoplasty. Patients’ demographic data, pre- and post-operative audiological evaluation results, and post-operative graft status were evaluated. Middle-ear and mastoid cavity volumes were calculated (in cubic centimetres) using temporal bone high-resolution computed tomography. Middle-ear and mastoid cavity volume values were compared between patients with and without post-operative anatomical and functional success.

Anatomical success was achieved in 82.2 per cent of patients (n = 37), and functional success in 68.9 per cent (n = 31). When anatomical success and failure groups were compared, a statistically significant difference was found in mean mastoid volume (p = 0.037), while there was no significant difference in relation to mean middle-ear volume (p = 0.827). The comparison of functional success and failure groups revealed no significant difference in mean mastoid volume (p = 0.492) or middle-ear volume (p = 0.941).

The study showed that mastoid pneumatisation volume affects surgical success in paediatric tympanoplasty.

Serious device-related complications for hypoglossal nerve stimulators are rare, but surgeons should implement a prompt and systematic approach to quickly troubleshoot a non-functioning device.

Records were queried at a single academic tertiary referral centre between January 2019 and June 2021.

The authors present four cases of non-functioning hypoglossal nerve stimulator devices: one case in which migration of the stimulation lead required a revision implantation, one in which the implantable pulse generator was found to be non-functional intra-operatively, one case of an intramuscular sensory lead tract causing pain and one case of implantable pulse generator failure that was probably triggered by implantable cardiac device discharge. In this study, computed tomography imaging was critical to the diagnosis for the first and third cases.

Given the limited complication reporting available for hypoglossal nerve stimulators, these cases highlight management and unique imaging findings. The authors present an algorithm to work-up non-functioning hypoglossal nerve stimulator devices.

The role of high-resolution computed tomography scans in otosclerosis remains uncertain. There is a debate over the relationship between radiological and audiometric findings among patients.

Pre-operative audiometry and high-resolution computed tomography findings from 40 ears with surgically confirmed otosclerosis were compared. High-resolution computed tomography scan data regarding the characteristics of the disease foci, the endosteal extension and the occurrence of internal auditory canal diverticula were obtained. The influence of each radiological variable on the simple pure tone average, the high-frequency pure tone average and the bone-conduction pure tone average were investigated.

Cases with endosteal extension (p = 0.047) and a higher number of affected sites within the otic capsule had a worse bone-conduction pure tone average, although it was only significant for the latter (p = 0.006). Those without concomitant retrofenestral disease (p = 0.019) had better simple pure tone average.

The number of sites of involvement and concomitant retrofenestral disease seem to significantly impact audiometric findings in otosclerosis.

Cognitive processes underlying verbal and design fluency, and their neural correlates in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and behavioural variant Frontotemporal Dementia (bvFTD) remain unclear. We hypothesised that verbal and design fluency may be associated with distinct neuropsychological processes in AD and FTD, showing different patterns of impairment and neural basis.

We enrolled 142 participants including patients with AD (n = 80, mean age = 74.71), bvFTD (n = 34, mean age = 68.18), and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 28, mean age = 71.14), that underwent cognitive assessment and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging.

Semantic and phonemic fluency showed the largest effect sizes between groups, showing lower scores in bvFTD than AD and HCs, and lower scores in AD than HC. Both AD and bvFTD showed a lower number of unique designs in design fluency in comparison to HC. Semantic fluency was correlated with left frontotemporal lobe in AD, and with left frontal, caudate, and thalamus in bvFTD. Percentage of unique designs in design fluency was associated with the metabolism of the bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal cortex in AD, and the bilateral frontal cortex with right predominance in bvFTD. Repetitions in AD were correlated with bilateral frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes, and with left prefrontal cortex in bvFTD.

Our findings demonstrate differential underlying cognitive processes in verbal and design fluency in AD and bvFTD. While memory and executive functioning associated with fronto-temporo-parietal regions were key in AD, attention and executive functions correlated with the frontal cortex and played a more significant role in bvFTD during fluency tasks.

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of pharmacological therapy with and without direct maxillary sinus saline irrigation for the management of chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps.

In this prospective randomised controlled trial, 39 non-operated patients were randomly assigned to be treated with direct maxillary sinus saline irrigation in conjunction with systemic antibiotics and topical sprays (n = 24) or with pharmacological therapy alone (n = 15). Endoscopy, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test and Lund–MacKay computed tomography scores were obtained before, six weeks after and one to two years after treatment.

Post-treatment Lund–Mackay computed tomography scores were significantly improved in both cohorts, with no inter-cohort difference identified. Post-treatment nasal endoscopy scores were significantly improved in the study group but were similar to those measured in the control group. The Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-20 results showed improvement in both cohorts, with no difference between treatment arms.

Maxillary sinus puncture and irrigation with saline, combined with pharmacological treatment improves endoscopic findings in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps, but has no beneficial effect on symptoms and imaging findings over conservative treatment alone.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between cochlear nerve canal dimensions and semicircular canal abnormalities and to determine the distribution of bony labyrinth anomalies in patients with cochlear nerve canal stenosis.

This was a retrospective study in which high-resolution computed tomography images of paediatric patients with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss were reviewed. A cochlear nerve canal diameter of 1.5 mm or less in the axial plane was classified as stenotic. Semicircular canals and other bony labyrinth morphology and abnormality were evaluated.

Cochlear nerve canal stenosis was detected in 65 out of 265 ears (24 per cent). Of the 65 ears, 17 ears had abnormal semicircular canals (26 per cent). Significant correlation was demonstrated between cochlear nerve canal stenosis and semicircular canal abnormalities (p < 0.01). Incomplete partition type II was the most common accompanying abnormality of cochlear nerve canal stenosis (15 out of 65, 23 per cent).

Cochlear nerve canal stenosis is statistically associated with semicircular canal abnormalities. Whenever a cochlear nerve canal stenosis is present in a patient with sensorineural hearing loss, the semicircular canal should be scrutinised for presence of abnormalities.