Tegmen Defects Research Articles

Alloplastic bone cements in otologic surgery: Long-term follow-up and lessons learned

Otolaryngologists are often confronted with structural defects in the tegmen, scutum, or external auditory canal (EAC). Carbonated calcium phosphate (CCP) bone cements offer an alternative way of managing these defects. Retrospective review in an academic otology practice. The technical feasibility of these techniques described as well as the wound healing and structural integrity results. CCP bone cement was used to reconstruct defects of the tegmen or EAC in 22 patients. The material was used to repair the EAC in 19 of these patients, including complete EAC reconstruction in 4 patients, and tegmen defects only in 3 cases. The surgical technique is not technically difficult and the alloplastic material is hard within minutes of application. Twenty patients have been followed for over 1 year with an average follow-up period of 3.8 years. Failure, defined as infection or explantation, occurred in 4 patients followed over 3 years. There was a difference in outcomes for pediatric cases. C-4.

Diagnosis and Management of Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea

To describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical management, and outcome of patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea. Retrospective case series. Tertiary referral center. The authors conducted a chart review of all previously unreported cases of surgically confirmed cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea at their institution between September 1996 and February 2005. Acquired cases were excluded from this study. Eleven cases of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea were identified among 10 patients. Nine of the 10 patients presenting with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea were women. Ages ranged from 34 to 79 years. Eight patients presented with serous otitis media, and two women presented with meningitis. High-resolution computed tomography demonstrated a tegmen defect with a sensitivity of 80%. Nine tegmen defects were repaired using a transmastoid approach without recurrence. One patient with a contracted mastoid and a meningoencephalocele herniating from the tegmen tympani into the attic required the temporal craniotomy approach for definitive repair. Another patient with a tegmen tympani defect developed a recurrence of cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea 8 years after a transmastoid repair using only fascia and fibrin glue. A recurrent tegmen defect in this patient was repaired using a transmastoid approach and a multilayered closure technique. The diagnosis of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea requires clinical suspicion in the setting of persistent serous otitis media. High-resolution computed tomography can confirm the diagnosis. The authors' findings indicate that repair through a transmastoid approach is effective if the tegmen defect can be widely visualized. The authors advocate a multilayered closure technique.

Repair of Iatrogenic Temporal Lobe Encephalocele after Canal Wall Down Mastoidectomy in the Presence of Active Cholesteatoma

Although mastoid and middle ear obliteration provides the ultimate repair of an encephalocele, retained squamous epithelium may result in the occult recurrence of cholesteatoma. For most patients, a preferable technique is to perform a canal-wall-up mastoidectomy with middle fossa craniotomy. However, temporal lobe encephaloceles are occasionally found in patients with canal-wall-down cavities along with active cholesteatoma. We sought to describe our management strategy for this dilemma. Retrospective review. Tertiary referral center. We reviewed all patients with encephaloceles treated by the primary surgeon. Patients without active cholesteatoma and a canal-wall-down cavity were excluded. Surgical management of the encephalocele and cholesteatoma. Successful repair and a noninfected ear. Three patients met the inclusion criteria. All had previous canal-wall-down surgery for cholesteatoma by outside surgeons and presented with chronic otorrhea, large tegmen defects, and brain herniation into the mastoid cavity. All had incomplete removal of their posterior canal wall. Our management strategy involved completing the canal-wall-down mastoidectomy and repairing the temporal floor defect using a three-layer closure via a middle fossa craniotomy. This included suture repair of the dural defect with or without a graft, a temporalis muscle rotation flap, and a split-calvarial bone graft. All patients recovered from their surgery without evidence of further cerebrospinal fluid leak, encephalocele, or cholesteatoma with a minimum follow-up time of 6 months. A temporal lobe encephalocele can be safely repaired while maintaining a mastoid bowl. This may be the safest treatment option for patients with active cholesteatoma.

Ionomeric cement in the human middle ear cavity: long-term results of 23 cases.

The long-term results of the implantation of glass ionomer cement in the human mastoid and middle ear were studied. A prospective study of the survival of bone cement in the middle ear. Ionocem (IONOS, Medizinische Produkte Gmbh & Co., Seefeld/Obb, Germany), a two-compound bone material that forms a stable, water-proof junction with bone, was implanted in 23 middle ears of 23 patients (13 male and 10 female patients). Closure of the dehiscence of the tegmen was performed in 7 cases, obliteration of the mastoid cavity in 10 cases, and ossicular chain reconstruction in 6 cases. The follow-up period was 5.1 years. Complications attributable to operation were not seen, but adverse tissue reaction with severe middle ear infection and abundant otorrhea occurred in six cases after 12 months, requiring repeat operation. In three more cases, a spontaneous extrusion of the bone cement was seen after 4 years. The bone cement was totally extruded in nine cases. The mean survival time was 28 months. The use of Ionocem for obliteration of the mastoid cavity or for the closure of dehiscence of the tegmen has a high risk of extrusion. Therefore, it is not the first-choice material to use for obliteration or tegmen defect closure in the middle ear.

Elimination of temporal bone cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea using hydroxyapatite cement.

This report introduces a new method to control cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea using hydroxyapatite cement (HAC) via a transmastoid approach. This technique eliminates the need for a transmastoid or middle cranial fossa approach with soft tissue repair and prolonged hospitalization caused by lumbar drainage. Retrospective review. Thirteen cases of transmastoid repairs of CSF otorrhea using HAC from August 1996 to February 1999 were reviewed. The CSF leak was controlled in every patient using HAC through a transmastoid approach. The reconstruction involved eight tegmen defects, three posterior fossa dural plate defects, and two congenital inner ear fistula secondary to Mondini malformation. Postoperative wound infection in one patient was the only complication that occurred. The average hospital stay was 48 hours. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 44 months with no recurrence of CSF otorrhea. The successful use of HAC to control CSF otorrhea through a transmastoid approach reduces patient morbidity by obviating the need for middle cranial fossa approaches, donor soft tissue sites, and spinal drainage.

Brain herniation and chronic otitis media: diagnosis and surgical management.

Herniation of the brain into the middle ear is a rare, but potentially life-threatening complication of chronic otitis media. Fifty patients with a tegmen defect associated with chronic otitis media were operated on between 1985 and 1998. Among these 50, 15 patients presented brain herniation associated with the bony defect. Fourteen patients had undergone previous mastoid surgery for chronic otitis media. Neurological symptoms were encountered in five patients. In 10, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed before surgery, and a diagnosis of brain herniation could be made. The hernia was repaired in all patients using a middle fossa craniotomy, combined with a transmastoid approach in 11 cases where a large hernia, and/or inflammatory tissues were present in the mastoid. The herniated brain tissue was resected in all, and the dural and bony defects were closed with fascia and bone. No complication or recurrence occurred, during a mean follow-up of 2 years. In conclusion, the occurrence of severe neurological complications as a consequence of brain herniation emphasizes the necessity for recognition and appropriate management of this disease. Computerized tomography (CT) scanning allows the suspicion of brain herniation, but a definitive diagnosis can best be established with an MRI study. The hernia should be repaired using a middle fossa craniotomy, combined with a transmastoid approach in one or two stages, when necessary.

Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage and Middle Ear Encephalocele in Seven Patients

Isolated cases of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage with and without middle ear encephalocele have been reported. These leaks are usually accompanied by episodes of recurrent meningitis, hearing loss, or chronic headache. In this article, we report seven new cases of spontaneous CSF leakage. Six of these patients had conductive hearing loss and serous otitis media, and three had recurrent meningitis. Prior to a definitive diagnosis, six patients had received myringotomy tubes, which produced profuse clear otorrhea. Three patients had positive beta-2 transferrin assays. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a defect in the temporal bone tegmen. A combined transmastoid and middle fossa surgical approach with a three-layer closure was used to repair the tegmen defect. All patients had a lumbar drain placed prior to surgery. In addition to describing the seven new cases, we review the history of CSF leakage and discuss diagnostic methods, surgical findings, and our recommendations for management.

Neurotologic manifestations and treatment of multiple spontaneous tegmental defects

To describe the causes, histopathologic features, manifestations, and treatment of symptomatic multiple spontaneous tegmental defects. Retrospective review of three clinical cases and one temporal bone histopathology report. Varied, including spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorhinorrhea, conductive hearing loss, chronic headaches, pneumocephalus, extradural abscess, and meningitis. A notable common feature was multiple (8-15) tegmental defects, 1 to 6 millimeters in diameter. Three of the four cases also included associated dural defects and small meningoencephaloceles or arachnoid granulations. Imaging studies generally underestimated the number of defects. Successful middle cranial fossa repair with temporalis fascia was accomplished in the three clinical cases. Extension of exposure anteriorly and medially was necessary. Closure of the defects with a bone graft or equivalent synthetic material was not always possible, given the anatomic and pathologic features. Our data suggest that there are both congenital and acquired causes of the tegmental dehiscences. Multiple tegmen defects constitute a special entity. Successful repair requires a middle fossa craniotomy with extended exposure.

Outer Table Graft in Middle Fossa Surgery

We describe a surgical technique in which the middle fossa craniotomy ordinarily used for facial nerve decompression and related surgery is extended superiorly to allow the harvest of a split-thickness calvarial graft. This graft allows the tegmen defect in middle fossa surgery to be repaired without shortening the original craniotomy plate. Avoiding the usual temporoparietal depression after middle cranial fossa surgery is both a structural and cosmetic benefit for the patient.

Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks in Congenital and Acquired Temporal Bone Defects - Long-Term Follow-Up

Twelve patients presenting with tegmen defects and requiring surgical repair were retrospectively reviewed from 1982 to 1993. One half of the patients presented with a cerebrospinal fluid leak at some time in the course of their illness. Nine cases were considered to be acquired, secondary to previous mastoid surgery or trauma. All 9 had encephalocoeles. Three spontaneous leaks were considered congenital; 2 of these patients had encephalocoeles. This report represents a long-term follow-up of these cases, with an average follow-up of 7,6 years. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging technology, as well as contrast studies, have tremendously aided in diagnosis and planning of surgical repair. Nine repairs were done through a dual transmastoid and middle fossa approach, with the other 3 done via a transmastoid approach only. We favored temporalis muscle flaps and temporalis fascia over synthetic materials for defect repairs. The long-term results and complications are discussed.

Tegmen Defect with CSF Fistula and Abnormal ECoG

Tegmen Defect with CSF Fistula and Abnormal ECoG

SPONTANEOUS CEREBROSPINAL FLUID OTORRHEA IN A NORMAL INNER EAR A CASE REPORT

A 49-year-old male with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea, an extremely rare condition, is presented as the third reported case in Japan. The patient visited us complaining of sudden hearing loss and fullness of the ear on the left side. A tegmen defect of the posterior cranial fossa and CSF leakage from the fistula into the mastoid air cells, but a normal inner ear, were found by means of metrizamide CT. The fistula was surgically occluded with fascia temporalis and an artificial bone with fibrin glue. The CSF otorrhea from the tegmen defect was successfully stopped by this procedure and no recurrence has been observed. We discuss this extremely rare disease in this paper.

特発性髄液耳漏の２症例

Two cases of spontaneous CSF otorrhea are presented. The initial presentation of both patients was the appearance of a serous otitis mediaa and persistent clear otorrhea following tube insertion. In one patient, a 50-year-old male, cerebrospinal fluid from tegmen defect was confirmed by surgery. The second patient, a 56-year-old female, was found to have the fistulas in the internal anditory meatus and the stapes foot plate, from which the fluid exuded.

Mini-craniotomy for management of CSF otorrhea from tegmen defects.

CSF otorrhea arising from defects in the tegmen and middle fossa dura may be congenital or acquired. It may be spontaneous or secondary to trauma, chronic ear disease, tumor or surgical treatment. In the six cases presented, the tegmen defect and associated CSF leak were secondary to chronic ear disease in two cases, to mastoid surgery in two cases, to temporal bone fracture and congenital origin in one case each. The successful management of these patients utilizing a mini-craniotomy in conjunction with mastoid surgery is described. Mini-craniotomy facilitates precise extradural, intracranial placement of an autogenous graft over the tegmen defect which can be technically difficult in the transmastoid approaches, yet avoids the morbidity and potential complications of a full middle fossa craniotomy. It does not significantly add to the length of the mastoid procedure or its complications.

Temporal lobe herniation through traumatic defect in tegmen of temporal bone with cerebrospinal otorrhea.

Temporal lobe herniation through traumatic defect in tegmen of temporal bone with cerebrospinal otorrhea.