9,089 research outputs found
Cochlear implantation in pontine tegmental cap dysplasia
No full textInt J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2010 Aug;74(8):962-6.
Cochlear implantation in pontine tegmental cap dysplasia.
Bacciu A, Ormitti F, Pasanisi E, Vincenti V, Zanetti D, Bacciu S.
SourceDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. [email protected]
Abstract
Pontine tegmental cap dysplasia (PTCD) is an exceptionally rare brain stem and cerebellar malformation characterized by ventral pontine hypoplasia, vaulted pontine tegmentum, hypoplasia of the vermis, subtotal absence of middle cerebellar peduncles, lateralized course of the superior cerebellar peduncles, and absence or alteration of the inferior olivary nucleus. The main clinical features are multiple cranial neurophaties and ataxia. Sensorineural hearing loss of varying severity is almost always present. To date, 14 cases of PTCD have been reported in the literature. We present a child with PTCD and profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss who underwent cochlear implantation. To the best of our knowledge, cochlear implantation in PTCD has not been previously reported. Functional outcome was assessed using the Speech Perception Categories and the Speech Intelligibility Rating scale. At 22 months' postoperative evaluation, the patient who was placed into speech perception category 0 (no detection of speech) preoperatively progressed to category 3 (beginning word identification). Before implantation, the child had connected speech unintelligible. At the last follow-up, she had connected speech intelligible to a listener who has little experience of a deaf person's speech. Cochlear implantation allowed this child to improve her quality of life, increasing her self-confidence, independence, and social integration
NASAL POLYPOSIS IN CHURG-STRAUSS SYNDROME
No full textLaryngoscope. 2008 Feb;118(2):325-9.
Nasal polyposis in Churg-Strauss syndrome.
Bacciu A, Buzio C, Giordano D, Pasanisi E, Vincenti V, Mercante G, Grasselli C, Bacciu S.
SourceDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. [email protected]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a systemic vasculitic disorder of unknown etiology that affects small-to-medium-size blood vessels. Patients affected by CSS frequently show ear, nose, and throat manifestations, which are often present at the time of disease onset. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of nasal polyposis in a series of 29 patients with CSS and to correlate the nasal findings to the total health situation of these patients.
STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis.
SETTING: Department of Otolaryngology and Department of Clinical Medicine, Nephrology and Health Science, University of Parma.
METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with CSS were identified. Of the 29 patients, 17 (58.6%) had nasal polyposis and were enrolled in this study. The nasal polyps were graded according to the Lund and Mackay endoscopic and radiological classifications.
RESULTS: At diagnosis, endoscopic intranasal evaluation identified nasal polyposis of grade 3 in nine cases (52.9%), grade 2 in six cases (35.2%), and grade 1 in the remaining case (5.8%). After corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy, clinical remission was achieved in 14 patients (82.3%), whereas 3 patients experienced a relapse. Posttreatment endoscopic evaluation showed a permanent disappearance (grade 0) of nasal polyps in eight patients (47%). The other nine patients (52.92%) were found to have a small polyp situated in the middle meatus (grade 1).
CONCLUSIONS: Nasal polyposis in patients with CSS may represent the initial phase of the syndrome, though patients often have concurrent pulmonary disease. Corticosteroid therapy either alone or combined with immunosuppressive drugs usually yielded improvement or stabilization
Surgical treatment of middle ear cholesteatoma in children with Down's syndrome
No full textOtol Neurotol. 2005 Sep;26(5):1007-10.
Surgical treatment of middle ear cholesteatoma in children with Down syndrome.
Bacciu A, Pasanisi E, Vincenti V, Giordano D, Caruso A, Lauda L, Bacciu S.
SourceDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. [email protected]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To report our personal experience in the surgical treatment of cholesteatoma in children with Down syndrome.
STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study.
SETTING: Tertiary care otology and skull base centers.
PATIENTS: Nine patients with Down syndrome were surgically treated for cholesteatoma. Two patients had bilateral disease, resulting in a total of 11 ears surgically treated.
INTERVENTION: A canal-wall-up mastoidectomy was performed in two ears; in eight of the ears, a canal-wall-down mastoidectomy was carried out and a modified Bondy procedure was performed in one ear.
RESULTS: Residual cholesteatoma was found in one ear after the canal-wall-up mastoidectomy and recurrent cholesteatoma developed in another ear, also after canal-wall-up mastoidectomy. The recurrence required conversion to canal-wall-down mastoidectomy. One patient developed a perforation of the neotympanic membrane that had to be revised.
CONCLUSIONS: Cholesteatoma in children with Down syndrome is a challenging entity for the otologic surgeon. Otolaryngologists should always suspect a cholesteatoma in each child with Down syndrome presenting warning symptoms such as otorrhea and hearing loss. If there is any doubt on inspection, further imaging studies (high-resolution computed tomography) are necessary. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first report to document the surgical treatment of cholesteatoma in subjects with Down syndrome.
PMID: 16151350 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
Reconstruction of outer attic wall defects using bone patè: long term clinical and histological evaluation.
No full textEur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2006 Nov;263(11):983-7. Epub 2006 Jun 28.
Reconstruction of outer attic wall defects using bone paté: Long-term clinical and histological evaluation.
Bacciu A, Pasanisi E, Vincenti V, Di Lella F, Bacciu S.
SourceDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. [email protected]
Abstract
The objective was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome of the bony outer attic wall reconstruction (scutumplasty) by using autogenous bone paté in a series of patients who underwent canal wall up (CWU) mastoidectomy for middle ear cholesteatoma. In addition, an histological analysis of bone paté graft specimens taken during the second-look procedure 12 months after the first surgery, was carried out. A series of 134 ears from 128 patients with cholesteatoma who underwent staged CWU mastoidectomy and attic reconstruction with bone paté, between 1995 and 2000 inclusive, was retrospectively analyzed. In ten randomly selected ears, biopsies from the newly built outer attic wall were taken during the second-look operation and were microscopically analyzed. At the second stage operation, the bone paté graft was found normal in 64.9% of cases. In 39 (29.1%) patients there was a remarkable hypertrophy of the bone paté which was subsequently thinned out by using a diamond burr. A partial resorption of the bone paté was observed in 4.4% of ears and a total resorption in 1.4%. Residual cholesteatoma was found in 13.4% of ears. At the last follow-up visit, recurrent cholesteatoma was observed in 5.2% of ears. Self cleaning attic retraction pocket occurred in 4.4% of ears. Twelve months after implantation, histologic examination on the newly built bone showed a well-structured bony tissue. In particular, osteoblasts lined bone trabeculae with signs of an active tissue remodeling. In conclusion, the reconstruction of the outer attic wall should be considered a fundamental step when performing a CWU procedure in order to prevent attic retractions and recurrences of cholesteatoma. In our experience, autogenous bone paté graft has demonstrated good long-term results in outer attic wall reconstruction being adaptable, well tolerated, stable and of low cost
Comparison of speech perception performance between the Nucleus 24M e Nucleus 24 Contour Cochlear implant systems
No full textActa Otolaryngol. 2004 Dec;124(10):1155-8.
Comparison of speech perception performance between the Nucleus 24 and Nucleus 24 Contour cochlear implant systems.
Bacciu A, Pasanisi E, Vincenti V, Guida M, Barbot A, Berghenti M, Forli F, Berrettini S, Bacciu S.
SourceDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. [email protected]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare the 1-, 3-, and 6-month postoperative speech perception scores obtained by a group of subjects who received the new perimodiolar array (Nucleus Contour) cochlear implant with those obtained by a group of subjects implanted with the straight electrodes of the previous-generation Nucleus 24 device.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The speech performance of 10 postlingually deafened adults implanted with the Nucleus Contour device was compared with that of matched controls who received the Nucleus 24 model. Objective measures included word and sentence speech recognition scores.
RESULTS: Patients implanted with the Nucleus Contour device obtained significantly higher word and sentence recognition scores after short-term use of the implant compared to those obtained by patients implanted with the Nucleus 24 model.
CONCLUSION: Further long-term studies are required to determine whether the Nucleus Contour CI recipients continue to improve over time
Cochlear implantation in children with cerebral palsy. A preliminary report.
No full textInt J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2009 May;73(5):717-21. Epub 2009 Feb 7.
Cochlear implantation in children with cerebral palsy. A preliminary report.
Bacciu A, Pasanisi E, Vincenti V, Ormitti F, Di Lella F, Guida M, Berghenti M, Bacciu S.
SourceDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. [email protected]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to assess the post-implantation speech perception and intelligibility of speech produced by five profoundly deaf children with cerebral palsy.
METHODS: This study is derived by a review of a prospectively maintained data collection on all patients entering the cochlear implant program. Five children with cerebral palsy who underwent cochlear implantation participated in this study. Functional outcome was assessed using the Speech Perception Categories and the Speech Intelligibility Rating scale. The follow-up of the series ranged from 12 to 45 months.
RESULTS: At the last follow-up, two children who were placed into speech perception category 1 (detection of a speech signal) preoperatively progressed to category 6 (open-set word recognition with familiar words) postoperatively. Two children moved from preoperative category 2 (pattern perception) to postoperative category 6. One child placed into category 0 (no detection of speech) preoperatively progressed to category 4 (word identification) postoperatively. Before implantation, three children had connected speech unintelligible, and two subjects had connected speech intelligible to a listener who concentrates and lip-reads. At the last follow-up, one child had connected speech unintelligible, two children had connected speech intelligible to a listener who concentrate and lip-reads, one child had connected speech intelligible to a listener who has little experience of a deaf person's speech, and one child had connected speech intelligible to all listeners.
CONCLUSIONS: Cochlear implantation allowed these patients to dramatically improve their quality of life, increasing their self-confidence, independence and social integration
Middle ear and mastoid glomus tumors (glomus tympanicum): An algorithm for the surgical management.
No full textAuris Nasus Larynx. 2010 Dec;37(6):661-8. Epub 2010 Apr 18.
Middle ear and mastoid glomus tumors (glomus tympanicum): an algorithm for the surgical management.
Sanna M, Fois P, Pasanisi E, Russo A, Bacciu A.
SourceGruppo Otologico, Piacenza-Rome, Italy.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Glomus tumors are slow-growing benign lesions and represent the most common primary neoplasms of the middle ear. The objective of the present study is to report our surgical strategy in the management of glomus tympanicum tumors.
METHODS: Between December 1988 and July 2008, 68 patients with histologically confirmed glomus tympanicum tumor underwent surgical treatment. The follow-up of the series ranged from 6 to 194 months (mean, 33.4 months).
RESULTS: Distribution of tumors according to Fisch and Mattox classification was as follows: type A, 44 cases (64.7%); type B, 24 cases (35.3%). All of the 44 Class A tumors were safely removed via either a stapedectomy-type transcanal approach or a retroauricolar-transcanal approach. Five patients with Class B tumors were operated on through a transmastoid approach. Nineteen patients with larger Class B tumors underwent a subtotal petrosectomy with blind sac closure of the external auditory canal and middle ear obliteration. Gross total tumor removal was achieved in all 68 cases. In one case (1.4%) there was recurrence after 9 years, for which the patient was re-operated. No residual/recurrence has been detected on computed tomography in the rest of the patients.
CONCLUSION: Surgical excision of glomus tympanicum tumors is a safe procedure, allowing total tumor removal with minimal morbidity, a low recurrence rate, and a low complication rate
Ear, nose and throat manifestations of Churg-Strauss syndrome.
No full textActa Otolaryngol. 2006 May;126(5):503-9.
Ear, nose and throat manifestations of Churg-Strauss syndrome.
Bacciu A, Bacciu S, Mercante G, Ingegnoli F, Grasselli C, Vaglio A, Pasanisi E, Vincenti V, Garini G, Ronda N, Ferri T, Corradi D, Buzio C.
SourceDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Parma, Italy. [email protected]
Abstract
CONCLUSION: Ear, nose and throat (ENT) involvement is common in Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS), usually manifesting as allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis with or without polyps. Otolaryngologists may play a pivotal role in making an early diagnosis of this disease.
OBJECTIVES: CSS is a systemic vasculitic disorder that affects small to medium-sized blood vessels. Although the cause of CSS remains unknown, tissue damage seems more likely to be mediated by activated eosinophils. Patients affected by CSS frequently have ENT manifestations, which are often present at the time of disease onset and may represent relevant clues for the diagnosis. Thus, our objective was to present the ENT manifestations at the onset, at the diagnosis and at some point during the course of the disease in a series of patients with CSS collected at a single center.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with CSS, as defined according to the 1990 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria, were identified. Twenty-one (75%) of these patients had ENT involvement. We evaluated the clinical course, laboratory data, histologic findings, treatment and outcomes.
RESULTS: Of the 21 patients, 13 (61.9%) had ENT involvement at asthma onset and 8 (38%) at diagnosis or during follow-up. The most common ENT manifestations were allergic rhinitis in 9 (42.8%) patients and nasal polyposis in 16 (76.1%). Three (14.2%) patients developed chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps, three (14.2%) had nasal crusting, one (4.7%) serous otitis media, one (4.7%) purulent otitis media, two (9.5%) progressive sensorineural hearing loss, and one (4.7%) unilateral facial palsy. Corticosteroid therapy associated with immunosuppressive drugs usually yielded improvement or stabilizatio
Concentric ESN: Assessing the Effect of Modularity in Cycle Reservoirs
No full textThe paper introduces concentric Echo State Network, an approach to design reservoir topologies that tries to bridge the gap between deterministically constructed simple cycle models and deep reservoir computing approaches. We show how to modularize the reservoir into simple unidirectional and concentric cycles with pairwise bidirectional jump connections between adjacent loops. We provide a preliminary experimental assessment showing how concentric reservoirs yield to superior predictive accuracy and memory capacity with respect to single cycle reservoirs and deep reservoir models
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