The objective of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of the preoperative radiological assessment regarding 10 different middle ear structures in patients with chronic otitis media (COM). The setting of the prospective study was in a Tertiary university hospital. Fifty patients scheduled for a primary operation for COM. All patients underwent preoperative temporal bone high-resolution CT-scan (HRCT). AC1-statistics between the radiological report and the intra-operative findings were calculated. There was no correlation between the radiological assessment and the surgical findings in the scutum, attic area, and oval window. There was a poor or fair agreement on the condition of the malleus–incus complex, the status of the tympanic cavity, and the round window. There was a moderately strong agreement regarding the status of the lateral semicircular canal (LSCC) and tegmen tympani. This agreement was primarily observed, when no erosion/exposure was present in the LSCC or the dura. There was a very strong agreement in the mastoid air-cell complex and the sigmoid sinus, especially when the former was abnormal and the latter had no pathology. There are significant difficulties in radiological imaging for reliably assessing the middle ear in patients with chronic otitis media, using HRCT. The preoperative CT scan generally underestimates the actual pathology found by the surgeon in certain middle ear areas. The decision for surgical intervention should not be based on the radiological interpretation of certain middle ear structures, and ENT surgeons should be prepared to encounter conditions which are not reported by the radiologist preoperatively, and modify the operating strategy accordingly. EBM level: 2c.

The choice between surgical (ST) and percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) is not often based on evidence. The aim is to evaluate the quality of evidence in published articles comparing the two methods. A MEDLINE search was done. From 298 articles found, 37 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and 35 were further analyzed. No study was based on type I evidence, 13 (37%) represented type II, in 1 (3%) a clear-cut definition between type II or III was not possible and 21 (60%) represented type III or IV evidence. Taking into account the complication rate of the 13 type II evidence studies, 7 are in favor of PT and 3 in favor of ST. The majority of studies comparing PT with ST are of type III or IV level of evidence. Even if only type II studies are analyzed, outcomes are controversial. Any claims by clinicians in favor of a particular treatment are still debatable.

The selection of cochlear implant (CI) candidates requires consideration of a variety of clinical and radiographic factors. The present article reviews the current knowledge regarding the preoperative imaging of CI candidates and explores emerging developments in different imaging modalities. Preoperative radiologic assessment should evaluate the status of the middle/inner ear, auditory nerve and central acoustic pathways. Preoperative computed tomography displays anatomic middle ear variations of surgical importance. MRI can demonstrate fluid/obliteration in the inner ear and depict the retrocochlear auditory pathways. Dual modality imaging with high-resolution computed tomography and MRI of the petrous bone and brain can provide the maximum information regarding surgical landmarks and detect deafness-related abnormalities. Cost–effectiveness issues also justify its use. New systems are now becoming available, offering improved soft-tissue delineation, sophisticated segmentation techniques, volumetric measurements, semitransparent views and superior surface resolution, thus significantly advancing our diagnostic acumen and making the preoperative evaluation of CI candidates more accurate and reliable.

Background: Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) are a widely used diagnostic tool in a number of otoneurological symptoms such as tinnitus, hearing loss, and vertigo.

Background: Fibrous dysplasia is a benign expansive but slowly progressive bone disorder with unknown origin. It may be monostotic or poliostotic.

Aim: Cholesterol granulomas are usually cystic lesions that commonly appear in the pneumatized petrous apex as a result of foreign body giant cell reaction to cholesterol crystals. The present study reports a case of a 38-year-old woman with petrous apex cholesterol granuloma who presented with a 10-year history of left-sided hearing loss of sudden onset and tinnitus.

Results: Many surgical attempts to mobilize or to remove the stapes were described at the end of the 19th century but the results were more or less unsatisfactory. The poor results were probably related to the lack of an operating microscope. Otologists switched their interest to the fenestration of lateral semicircular canal and Lempert in 1938 was the first who made the fenestration procedure familiar wordwide. Rosen in 1953 described a procedure to mobilize stapes. The results were very good but unfortunately temporary. An international debate between these techniques started in the late 1950s when Shea introduced stapedectomy with tissue coverage of the oval window. Later, stapedotomy (irrespective of the use of laser) became the most popular and widely used surgical method of management with lasting results and rare complications.

Introduction: Ameloblastoma is a very rare benign tumor with tendency to recur after surgical excision. Although it is the most common odontogenic tumor, it comprises only 1% of all tumors of the maxilla and mandible.

Introduction: Arachnoid cysts are intra-arachnoidal collections of cerebrospinal fluid that are thought to be mostly congenital in origin. They can occur at different intracranial sites, including the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). The incidence of arachnoid cysts is around 1% of all intracranial lesions.