1/17. Trauma to the temporal bone: diagnosis and management of complications.The temporal bone contains important sensory and neural structures that may be damaged in patients who experience craniofacial trauma. The most serious complications of temporal bone trauma include facial nerve paralysis, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and hearing loss. Injury to the temporal bone often presents with subtle signs and symptoms, such as otorrhea, facial palsy, and hemotympanum. A high index of suspicion and a thorough knowledge of how to diagnose injury to the temporal bone are paramount in treating patients who present to the emergency room with craniofacial trauma. This article provides an overview of temporal bone trauma, outlines a methodical approach to the patient with temporal bone trauma, details four cases, and describes the treatment of complications.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = paralysis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/17. Surgical treatment of a mixed pineocytoma/pineoblastoma in a 72-year-old patient.BACKGROUND: Although pineal parenchymal tumours are very rare in elderly patients, we recently successfully treated a 72-year-old male patient. Interestingly, the histology of his pineal parenchymal tumour was mixed pineocytoma/pineoblastoma, which is reported to be extremely rare in aged patients. We present his clinical manifestations, follow-up MRI, surgical treatment, pathological findings, and review the literature. CLINICAL MATERIAL: This 72-year-old man had a mass in the pineal region detected 3 years previously on MRI in February 1996 following symptoms of headache and vertigo. Two years later, he experienced gait disturbance and disorientation. CT scans disclosed obstructive hydrocephalus, and ventriculo-peritoneal shunt placement was then performed. The tumour mass began to enlarge in July 1999 (at age 72). On October 13, 1999, total removal of the pineal region tumour was performed through an occipital transtentorial approach. The postoperative course was uneventful. The pathological diagnosis of the tumour was mixed pineocytoma/pineoblastoma. CONCLUSION: Pineal parenchymal tumours are uncommon in elderly patients, and mixed pineocytoma/pineoblastomas are particularly rare. We followed this patient closely for more than 3.5 years and finally performed total surgical removal of the tumour, with excellent outcome. The present case suggests that a mixed pineocytoma/pineoblastoma tumour is controllable even in elderly patients through careful evaluation and management.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 30.560891431473keywords = hunt (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/17. Ramsay Hunt syndrome: pathophysiology of cochleovestibular symptoms.Ramsay Hunt's hypothesis that herpes zoster oticus results from reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV) in the geniculate ganglion is supported by the detection of viral genome in archival temporal bones of normals and Ramsay Hunt patients by the polymerase chain reaction. Ramsay Hunt syndrome is characterized by the presence of cochleovestibular symptoms in association with facial paralysis. VZV has also been demonstrated in the spiral and/or vestibular ganglion. Two cases are reported in which cochleovestibular symptoms outweighed the facial nerve symptoms, presumably representing VZV reactivation in the spiral and/or vestibular ganglion. From these observations and the known dormancy of VZV in non-neuronal satellite cells, it is argued that the cochleovestibular symptoms in Ramsay Hunt syndrome may result from VZV transmission across the nerves inside the internal auditory canal and that prompt treatment with an antiviral-corticosteroid combination might be justified in the management of any acute non-hydropic cochleovestibular syndrome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = paralysis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/17. Intratemporal facial nerve neurinoma without facial paralysis.A 38-year-old man was referred by his general practitioner to our department on 28 October 1991, with a 2-week history of vertigo. A left aural polyp was identified. The audiogram showed a moderate conductive loss on the left side. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed the presence of the expanding lesion in the descending portion of the facial nerve. However, there was no seventh nerve paresis. At operation, the neurinoma (Schwannoma) filled the middle ear cleft and extended from the genu to the stylomastoid foramen. The floor of the middle ear had been eroded, exposing the jugular bulb. facial nerve paresis is the usual presenting feature of a facial neurinoma. The case is presented for the reason that the absence of facial palsy as a presenting feature is rather rare, especially in the cases with large tumor and extensive bone erosion.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = paralysis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/17. Posterior fossa arachnoid cysts can mimic Meniere's disease.arachnoid cysts constitute 1% of all intracranial space-occupying lesions. In the posterior fossa, they typically produce vague, nonspecific symptoms. However, a subset of these lesions can produce signs and symptoms indistinguishable from those of Meniere's disease. We discuss the clinical and laboratory features of 2 cases of posterior fossa arachnoid cysts mimicking Meniere's disease as well as the substantial resolution of symptoms in 1 patient after cysto-peritoneal shunt. Posterior fossa arachnoid cyst must be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with signs and symptoms of Meniere's disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 30.560891431473keywords = hunt (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/17. Superior semicircular canal dehiscence presenting as conductive hearing loss without vertigo.OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) presenting as otherwise unexplained conductive hearing loss without vestibular symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. patients: The study comprised 8 patients (10 ears), 5 males and 5 females aged 27 to 59 years. All 10 ears had SSCD on high-resolution computed tomography scan of the temporal bone. DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND RESULTS: All 10 ears had significant conductive hearing loss. The air-bone gaps were largest in the lower frequencies at 250, 500, and 1000 Hz; the mean gaps for these 3 frequencies for the 10 ears were 49, 37, and 35 dB, respectively. Bone-conduction thresholds below 2000 Hz were negative (-5 dB to -15 dB) at one or more frequencies in 8 of the 10 ears. There were no middle ear abnormalities to explain the air-bone gaps in these 10 ears. Computed tomography scan and laboratory testing indicated lack of middle ear pathology; acoustic reflexes were present, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) were present with abnormally low thresholds, and umbo velocity measured by laser Doppler vibrometry was above mean normal. Middle ear exploration was negative in six ears; of these six, stapedectomy had been performed in three ears and ossiculoplasty in two ears, but the air-bone gap was unchanged postoperatively. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that the SSCD introduced a third mobile window into the inner ear, which in turn produced the conductive hearing loss by 1) shunting air-conducted sound away from the cochlea, thus elevating air-conduction thresholds; and 2) increasing the difference in impedance between the oval and round windows, thus improving thresholds for bone-conducted sound. CONCLUSION: SSCD can present with a conductive hearing loss that mimics otosclerosis and could explain some cases of persistent conductive hearing loss after uneventful stapedectomy. Audiometric testing with attention to absolute bone-conduction thresholds, acoustic reflex testing, VEMP testing, laser vibrometry of the umbo, and computed tomograph scanning can help to identify patients with SSCD presenting with conductive hearing loss without vertigo.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 30.560891431473keywords = hunt (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/17. Hypertrophic chronic pachymeningitis associated with chronic otitis media and mastoiditis.We describe the case history of a 70-year-old female patient presenting with bilateral hearing disturbance, facial paralysis, and vertigo. Radiological tests of temporal bone revealed soft tissue in the mastoid and tympanic cavities, and T1 weighted MRI revealed prominent Gd enhancement of the middle skull basal meninges. Middle ear inflammation appeared to induce pachymeningitis and to exacerbate associated symptoms, leading to a decline in the patient's overall condition. Bilateral mastoidectomies were effective in improving her general condition. Her hearing improved only on the right side because ossiculoplasty was performed only on that side. Her facial movement progressively improved and pachymeningitis diminished over time. We speculate that removal of the infectious granulation within the middle ears and mastoids ameliorated the acute inflammation. The etiology remains unknown in this case.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = paralysis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/17. Varicella zoster virus: beyond facial paralysis.J. Ramsay Hunt's hypothesis that herpes zoster oticus results from a reactivation of the herpes zoster virus in the geniculate ganglion, has been supported by the demonstration of varicella zoster viral dna in the geniculate ganglion of the side with facial paralysis in patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, with the use of the polymerase chain reaction. Similarly, dna of the varicella zoster virus has been identified in the spiral and vestibular ganglion as well. We report on three patients with cochleovestibular symptoms as the first manifestations of Ramsay Hunt syndrome. A 64-year old woman and a 72-year old man presented with vertigo and an auricular herpetiform eruption. Only the woman developed later on a mild facial paralysis. A 58-year old man presented with an acute cochleovestibular syndrome, serologically proven to be a varicella zoster viral reactivation, which was followed three weeks later by the typical cutaneous recrudescence. We believe that these cases result from reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus in the spiral and/or vestibular ganglion. As the varicella zoster virus is dormant in the non-neuronal satellite cells, the facial symptoms in our patients as well as the high incidence of cochleovestibular symptoms in classical Ramsay Hunt syndrome can be explained by viral transmission across the nerves inside the internal auditory canal. Therefore, we think there are grounds to recommend a prompt treatment with an antiviral and a corticosteroid agent, not only in case of an acute facial paralysis but also when confronted with an acute cochleovestibular syndrome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7keywords = paralysis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/17. Acute vertiginous presentation of primary thalamic hemorrhage.A 43-year-old hypertensive patient presented with serve vertigo of abrupt onset. The initial neurological signs were subtle vertical gaze paralysis and unsteady gait. The computed tomographic scan revealed a left-sided thalamic hemorrhage. It is explained that the vertigo is due to stimulation of the vestibulo-ocular connections within the diencephalic-mesencephalic junction.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = paralysis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/17. Acute vestibular paralysis in herpes zoster oticus.A case of herpes zoster oticus is presented in which the lateral and superior semicircular canals of the labyrinth were affected unilaterally. The results of several electronystagmographic examinations are described and correlated with the patient's description of symptoms. This case study indicates that disease affecting the lateral semicircular canal is reliably detected by the conventional caloric test. However, the fact that the posterior semicircular canal remained intact could not be inferred from the results of the caloric test in this case. Also the appearance of nystagmus upon eye closure appears to have been a more sensitive index of the state of the disease process than was the caloric test.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = paralysis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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