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Objective: To assess the prevalence of otitis media with effusion (OME) among children who attended a tertiary level audiologic center 2 and 3 years after the COVID-19 lockdown, and to determine the impact of temporary interruption of day care center attendance on chronic OME., Study Design: Retrospective study., Setting: Tertiary level referral audiologic center., Methods: We assessed the prevalence of OME among children aged 6 months to 12 years in 3 different periods (May-June 2022, January-February 2023, and May-June 2023) and compared the results with those of the corresponding periods before the COVID-19 lockdown. We also compared the disease resolution rates between a subgroup of children with chronic OME who interrupted day care center attendance for a 2-month period (Subgroup A) and a similar subgroup who continued attending day care centers (Subgroup B)., Results: The prevalence of OME was 38.5% (138/358) in May-June 2022, 51.9% (193/372) in January-February 2023, and 40.9% (149/364) in May-June 2023. No significant prevalence differences were observed between the periods May-June 2019, May-June 2022, and May-June 2023 (P = .78), and between the periods January-February 2020 and January-February 2023 (P = .93). At the May-June 2023 assessment, the children belonging to Subgroup A presented a greater rate of disease resolution (85.7%, 18/21) than the children belonging to Subgroup B (32%, 8/25, P < .001)., Conclusion: This study suggests that the prevalence of OME has returned to prelockdown levels, and that interrupting day care center attendance for a 2-month period could be effective in resolving most cases of chronic OME., (© 2024 American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.)

Introduction: Dysphonia has been described in patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dysphonia, and its severity and extent, of voice fatigue and of dysphagia in non hospitalized patients affected by COVID-19 in Lombardy, the Italian region most hit by the first explosive outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe., Methods: Demographic and clinical data of 160 consecutive patients, with COVID-19 diagnosis confirmed by nasal swabs processed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, were gathered by means of telephone interviews performed by physicians in charge of daily follow-up. General and specific symptoms concerning voice and swallowing impairment were investigated. Dysphonia grade and duration were graded on 4-point scales, while voice fatigue was graded on a 5-point scale., Results: Dysphonia was reported by 70 (43.7%) patients and was positively associated with voice fatigue (P < 0.001), cough (P = 0.005), rhinitis (P = 0.01), and dyspnea (P = 0.06); it was mild and/or moderate in 69 patients, but its duration was > 2 weeks in 33/70 (47.1%) patients and >1 month in 11/70 (15.7%). Grade and duration of dysphonia were positively associated with cough and rhinitis (all P values < 0.01). Voice fatigue was reported by 43/160 patients (26.8%) and its severity was correlated with dysphonia (P < 0.0001), cough (P = 0.02), rhinitis (P = 0.02), dyspnea (P < 0.001), and loss of appetite (P = 0.01). Dysphagia was encountered in 27/160 patients (16.9%) and was associated with dysgeusia, cough, arthralgia, myalgia and loss of appetite but not with dysphonia., Conclusions: Dysphonia was a highly prevalent and long-lasting symptom in this series; it has been underestimated to date. Further studies might shed light on the pathophysiology of voice disorders in COVID-19 patients., (Copyright © 2021 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Imaging is fundamental to assessing the acoustic pathway in infants with congenital deafness. We describe our depiction of the membranous labyrinth in infants using the heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR sequence without a contrast agent., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 10 infants (20 ears) (median term equivalent age: 2 weeks; IQR: 1-5 weeks) who had undergone brain MR imaging including a noncontrast heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR scan of the temporal bone. For each ear, 3 observers analyzed, in consensus, the saccule, the utricle, and the 3 ampullae, assessing the visibility (score 0, not appreciable; score 1, visible without well-defined boundaries; score 2, visible with well-defined boundaries) and morphology ("expected" or "unexpected" compared with adults). The heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR sequence was scored for overall quality (score 0, inadequate; score 1, adequate but with the presence of image degradation; score 2, adequate)., Results: Six (60%) MR examinations were considered adequate (score 1 or 2). The saccule was visible in 10 ears (83.3%) with an expected morphology in 9 ears (90%). In 1 ear of an infant with congenital deafness, the saccule showed an unexpected morphology. The utricle was visible as expected in 12 ears (100%). The lateral ampulla was visible in 5 ears (41.6%), the superior ampulla was visible in 6 ears (50.0%), and the posterior ampulla was visible in 6 ears (50.0%), always with expected morphology (100%)., Conclusions: MR imaging can depict the membranous labyrinth in infants using heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR without an injected contrast agent, but the sequence acquisition time reduces its feasibility in infants undergoing MR studies during natural sleep., (© 2021 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cochlear implantation (CI) in advanced Ménière's disease (MD). Design: The initial search on PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases yielded 171 articles; no language restriction was applied. Study sample: A total of 11 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Six articles provided patient-level data on improvement in speech recognition testing after CI. Results: The methodological quality of included studies was assessed by examining the study design, level of evidence, method of measurement and adequacy of outcome reporting. A random-effect model was fitted for calculating weighted means. Post-operative improvement in word recognition score (WCS) was 50.8% (95% confidence interval: 34.6-67.1%); general improvement of vestibular symptoms after CI was found in 67% of the pooled patients; when reported in the studies, quality of life (QoL) and tinnitus were also generally improved after CI. Conclusions: CI in advanced MD is a valid option providing good outcomes in terms of speech performances, regardless of the disease duration, uni- or bilaterality, age at implantation, previous therapeutic procedures and stage of activity of MD.

Balance disorders are commonly observed during the course of multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study is to report characteristics of MS patient stance control disorders, measured by means of posturography and related to the brainstem lesions. Thirty-eight patients affected by MS, mildly to moderately disable according to Kurtzke's Expanded Disability Status Scale, underwent a complete clinical neurological and vestibular evaluation and brain MRI scanning. All patients were then tested on a static posturography platform (Tetrax, Israel) in four conditions: eyes open and eyes closed standing on a firm surface and on a foam pad. Clinical and/or magnetic resonance imaging evidence of brainstem involvement was observed in 55.3% of patients. When brainstem lesion was detected, Fourier analysis showed a typical pattern characterized by inversion of the 0-0.1 Hz and 0.1-0.25 Hz frequency bands. In conclusion, MS leads to pervasive postural disturbances in the majority of subjects, including the visuo-vestibular loops and proprioception involving vestibulo-spinal pathways in at least 55.3% of patients. Our results may also suggest the presence of Fourier inversion in patients with brainstem lesions.