Otolaryngology News and Research

RSS

The medical discipline and practice of otolaryngology is a specialty that addresses conditions of the ears, nose, and throat. Another name for this practice is otolaryngology head and neck surgery.

NYU Langone Health launches new program to address hearing loss among low-income immigrants

In the United States, 5 out of every 1,000 children experience hearing loss. After accounting for immigrant children from Mexico and China, that figure increases by at least 7.5 percent. Hearing loss affects a child's quality of life and can delay their ability to learn a language, perform well in school, and socialize with peers.

5 Apr 2022

Middle ear effusion common among tracheostomy-dependent kids requiring ventilatory support

Babies and toddlers who need a tracheostomy – a tube surgically inserted into their windpipe to help relieve breathing problems – are at a high risk of accumulating fluid behind their eardrum when on a ventilator.

4 Apr 2022

Study models the airborne transmission of COVID-19 in a hospital outpatient examination room

A recent work assessed infection control strategies for SARS-CoV-2 in hospital consultation rooms.

31 Mar 2022

How malaria drugs could play a part in treating chemotherapy-resistant head and neck cancers

In this interview, we speak to Kirill Kiselyov, Ph.D, and Umamaheswar Duvvuri, M.D, Ph.D, from the University of Pittsburgh, about their latest research into hydroxychloroquine, a drug widely used to prevent and treat malaria, as a potential treatment for head and neck cancers.

28 Mar 2022

Synthetic viral vector and surgical approach enable efficient gene transfer into the inner ear of primates

A synthetic viral vector and a novel surgical approach developed at Mass Eye and Ear has enabled efficient gene transfer into the inner ear of nonhuman primates, a research team working towards the development of effective treatments for hearing loss and vestibular disorders has reported.

15 Mar 2022

Malaria drug could help treat chemotherapy-resistant head and neck cancers

A new study suggests that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine inhibits pathways that drive resistance to the chemotherapy agent cisplatin in head and neck cancers and restores tumor-killing effects of cisplatin in animal models.

14 Mar 2022

Damage to the inner ear system linked to fall risk among Alzheimer’s patients

A Johns Hopkins Medicine study of about 50 people with Alzheimer's disease has added to evidence that damage to the inner ear system that controls balance is a major factor in patients' well-documented higher risk of falling.

10 Mar 2022

15 medical societies establish seven guiding principles for perioperative treatment of acute pain

The American Society of Anesthesiologists and 14 leading medical specialty organizations established seven guiding principles to better address the perioperative treatment of acute pain in complex surgical patients.

8 Mar 2022

COVID babies score slightly lower on developmental screening test

In this interview, we speak to Dr. Dani Dumitriu about her latest research that investigated the development screening test scores for babies born during COVID-19.

25 Feb 2022

Flinders study reflects a need to streamline referrals for cancer treatment

Patients undergoing primary radiotherapy treatment with or without chemotherapy, rather than surgery, for head and neck cancers are more likely to experience delays in their treatment starting, according to a new analysis from Flinders University.

14 Feb 2022

Cochlear implantation provides benefits for deaf children with autism spectrum disorder

Restoring hearing through cochlear implantation for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can help them understand spoken language and enhance social interactions, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

23 Dec 2021

Study reveals rising oropharyngeal cancer incidence and mortality trends in all 50 states

Oropharyngeal cancer incidence among men is continuing to rise rapidly in nearly all 50 states and among women living in states in the Midwest and Southeast regions, according to a new study by investigators at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

16 Dec 2021

First-of-its-kind gene therapy technique reverses severe hearing loss in mice

Hearing loss has been linked to mutations in at least 100 different genes, but up to 16 percent of genetic hearing loss can be traced to just one gene, STRC, the second most common genetic cause.

15 Dec 2021

New blood test provides more accurate, faster diagnosis of HPV-associated head and neck cancer

Researchers at Mass Eye and Ear and Mass General Hospital have developed a blood test, or liquid biopsy, for head and neck cancer associated with the human papilloma virus (HPV) that was shown in a new study to be more accurate, faster and cheaper than conventional testing methods.

2 Dec 2021

Deaf and hard-of-hearing scientists support equity and inclusion in professional societies

Providing some basic standards of support will greatly increase diversity in fields of science and medicine, a group of hard of hearing and deaf scientists argue in a perspective published in the journal Frontiers in Education.

20 Nov 2021

Study links noise-induced inner ear nerve damage to endolymphatic hydrops

Exposure to loud noise, such as a firecracker or an ear-splitting concert, is the most common preventable cause of hearing loss. Research suggests that 12% or more of the world population is at risk for noise-induced loss of hearing.

11 Nov 2021

New evidence that SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect the inner ear

Many Covid-19 patients have reported symptoms affecting the ears, including hearing loss and tinnitus. Dizziness and balance problems can also occur, suggesting that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may be able to infect the inner ear.

29 Oct 2021

Researchers receive $8.9 million grant to study the gut-brain connection in Parkinson’s disease

Dr. Michael Kaplitt, a professor of neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and a longtime leader in developing cutting-edge surgical therapies for movement disorders, leads a team that has been awarded a three-year, $8.9 million grant from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) initiative.

26 Oct 2021

UC study finds coping mechanisms that helped COVID-19 patients deal with loss of smell

One of the most common and disturbing side effects of COVID-19 is the loss of the sense of smell. New research from the University of Cincinnati found some common coping mechanisms that helped COVID-19 patients deal with a lessened sense of smell, which severely impacts the sense of taste.

25 Oct 2021

Novel surgical procedure for intractable canalicular obstruction

Under normal conditions, tears in the eyes are drained into the lacrimal sac through small openings called the upper and lower puncta located at the inner corner of the eye (called medial canthus).

12 Oct 2021