Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHNL) is an abruptly appearing hearing loss. The etiology remains unclear, although vascular pathologies, viral infections, or autoimmune disease contribute to the understanding of this pathology. Systematic steroids are often used as the first-line treatment because of their anti-inflammatory effect. However, there remains controversy about the use of steroids and other alternative treatments, as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), exploratory tympanotomy, prostaglandin, N-acetylcysteine, or defibrinogenation therapy. In this study, we aim to review the various treatment options currently available for sudden hearing loss, with the objective of advancing our understanding of this condition and clarifying information to guide future clinical practice guidelines.

Background: Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH) and seromucinous hamartoma (SH) are uncommon benign epithelial lesions of the sinonasal tract. Their clinical and endoscopic appearance may overlap with inflammatory nasal polyps, and definitive diagnosis usually requires histopathologic examination. Case presentation: A 37-year-old man presented with several years of nasal obstruction, hyposmia, and facial pressure over the paranasal sinus regions. He had no history of asthma or previous sinonasal surgery. Nasal endoscopy revealed bilateral polypoid lesions involving the middle meatus. Computed tomography showed extensive chronic sinonasal inflammatory disease, including complete opacification of the right maxillary sinus, bilateral frontal sinus involvement, and bilateral ethmoidal opacification. The patient underwent endoscopic sinonasal surgery with bilateral uncinectomy, bilateral antrostomy, and anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy. Polypoid tissue was excised and submitted for histopathologic examination. The final diagnosis was a hybrid epithelial hamartomatous lesion with features of both REAH and SH. At the 4 and 8 week postoperative visit, the patient reported clear symptomatic improvement, mainly in nasal obstruction, smell and nasal breathing. Conclusions: Hybrid REAH and SH may clinically resemble bilateral inflammatory nasal polyposis, especially in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. This case highlights the importance of routine histopathologic examination of sinonasal polypoid lesions after endoscopic surgery.

Background: Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH) and seromucinous hamartoma (SH) are uncommon benign epithelial lesions of the sinonasal tract. Their clinical and endoscopic appearance may overlap with inflammatory nasal polyps, and a definitive diagnosis usually requires histopathologic examination. Case presentation: A 37-year-old man presented with several years of nasal obstruction, hyposmia, and facial pressure over the paranasal sinus regions. He had no history of asthma or previous sinonasal surgery. Nasal endoscopy revealed bilateral polypoid lesions involving the middle meatus. Computed tomography showed extensive chronic sinonasal inflammatory disease, including complete opacification of the right maxillary sinus, bilateral frontal sinus involvement, and bilateral ethmoidal opacification. The patient underwent endoscopic sinonasal surgery with bilateral uncinectomy, bilateral antrostomy, and anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy. Polypoid tissue was excised and submitted for histopathologic examination. The final diagnosis was a hybrid epithelial hamartomatous lesion with features of both REAH and SH. At the 4- and 8-week postoperative visit, the patient reported clear symptomatic improvement, mainly in nasal obstruction, smell and nasal breathing. Conclusions: Hybrid REAH and SH may clinically resemble bilateral inflammatory nasal polyposis, especially in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. This case highlights the importance of routine histopathologic examination of sinonasal polypoid lesions after endoscopic surgery.

Introducción y objetivo: Los potenciales evocados auditivos del tronco cerebral (PEATC) permiten un estudio detallado de la función de la vía auditiva comprendida entre el nervio auditivo y el tronco del encéfalo. Se utilizan principalmente en la población pediátrica. Para su realización, es necesario que el paciente permanezca inmóvil y relajado a fin de evitar distorsión en los resultados. Clásicamente, en la población pediátrica se han llevado a cabo mediante sueño fisiológico. No obstante, al constatar la importancia de la tranquilidad del paciente de cara a la viabilidad de la prueba, no siempre alcanzable en este grupo etario, se desarrollaron técnicas alternativas como son el empleo de preparados con melatonina o la sedación en el quirófano. El objetivo principal del presente estudio fue evaluar la eficacia de la melatonina para la sedación durante los PEATC en pacientes pediátricos con sospecha de hipoacusia. Método: Se llevó a cabo un estudio observacional, descriptivo-analítico, retrospectivo y longitudinal con pacientes pediátricos en los que se realizaron PEATC bajo sedación con melatonina entre finales de 2021 y 2023. Resultados: Se incluyeron un total de 83 pacientes siendo la edad media 2,7 ± 1,48 años, siendo un 69,9% varones. En un 77,1% se realizó la prueba debido a la presencia de retraso del lenguaje. En un 33,7% se realizaron como cribado auditivo en pacientes con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA). El 96,4% había pasado el cribado auditivo neonatal. La dosis total media del jarabe con melatonina administrado para realizar la prueba fue de 1,88 ± 1,5 ml. Ningún paciente presentó efectos adversos. Sólo 8 pacientes (9,6%) tuvieron que realizarse la prueba posteriormente bajo sedación profunda. Finalmente, un total de 6 pacientes (7,2%) de la muestra estudiada fueron diagnosticados de hipoacusia. Salvo el motivo para la realización de la prueba (p<0,01) y el resultado del cribado auditivo (p=0,013), el resto de las variables no mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los pacientes con hipoacusia y aquellos que no la padecían. Conclusiones: Los PEATC con melatonina suponen un método seguro y eficaz para el diagnóstico de hipoacusia en población pediátrica.