American journal of otolaryngology
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The goal of this study was to determine if a change to minimal-hair shave preparation has altered the incidence of complications after cochlear implant surgery. ⋯ There is no evidence that minimal-hair shave adversely affects rates of wound complications in patents undergoing cochlear implant surgery. Therefore, minimal preoperative scalp shave may be an acceptable alternative to the traditional hair shaving technique.
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Otoneurologic findings in patients with superficial siderosis (SS) of the central nervous system are described. A 20-year-old man with acute vertigo, dizziness, with a history of head trauma in childhood; an 87-year-old woman with severe disequilibrium appearing after peridural anesthesia; and a 55-year-old woman with recurrent episodes of positional vertigo and progressive ataxia, suffering from a lumbar ependymoma are described; all patients complained of progressive bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Methods and results Otoneurologic examination showed bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, disturbed ocular pursuit and optokinetic nystagmus, incomplete visual suppression of the vestibulo-ocular reflex during rotatory pendular testing, right hyporeflexia, and bilateral caloric areflexia. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed rims of hypointensity surrounding the brainstem and linear hypointensities following the surface of the cerebellar folia. ⋯ The etiology stems from subarachnoid hemorrhage, but the source of bleeding may remain obscure. Bilateral hearing loss is described in 95% and disequilibrium in 90% because of peripheral vestibular deficit and cerebellar ataxia. In patients with progressive bilateral cochleo-vestibular deficit of unknown etiology, MRI is the examination of choice to confirm SS.