Aim of the study: To evaluate the ability of VEMP to disclose spatial dissemination of Multiple Sclerosis. Materials and methods: Forty-six MS patients with auditory and /or vestibular symptoms were studied. Patients were divided in two groups. Group 1 included 24 patients with brainstem MRI findings, and Group 2 included 22 patients without MRI findings. VEMP and BAEP have been recorded and assessed. Results: Abnormal p13n23 wave was observed in 50%, while unilateral absence or bilateral delay of the n34p44 in 43% of the patients. The overall diagnostic value considering abnormal cases suggested by both first and second VEMP waves was increased to 71%. Statistically significant differences revealed between patients and controls for p13 latency (p=0.018). The p13n23 was abnormal in 7 patients, although MRI scanning did not reveal brainstem lesions. In 9 out of 18 MS patients suffering from unilateral hearing loss, n34p44 was present in the unaffected ears and absent in the affected side, although p13n23 was normal. Conclusion: Abnormal VEMP imply the presence of lesions undetected by MRI neuroimaging, which verifies the diagnostic value of the method. Unilateral absence of n34p44 complex was related with sensorineural hearing loss, supporting the hypothesis that n34p44 is of cochlear origin.

Background: Osteomas of ethmoid sinus are rare, especially when they involve anterior skull base and orbit, and lead to ophthalmologic and neurological symptoms. Case presentation: The present case describes a giant ethmoid osteoma. Patient symptoms and signs were exophthalmos and proptosis of the left eye, with progressive visual acuity impairment and visual fields defects. CT/MRI scanning demonstrated a huge osseous lesion of the left ethmoid sinus (6.5 cm × 5 cm × 2.2 cm), extending laterally in to the orbit and cranially up to the anterior skull base. Bilateral extensive polyposis was also found. Endoscopic and external techniques were combined to remove the lesion. Bilateral endoscopic polypectomy, anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy and middle meatus antrostomy were performed. Finally, the remaining part of the tumor was reached and dissected from the surrounding tissue via a minimally invasive Lynch incision around the left middle canthus. During surgery, CSF rhinorrhea was observed and leakage was grafted with fascia lata and coated with bio-glu. Postoperatively, symptoms disappeared. Eighteen months after surgery, the patient is still free of symptoms. Conclusion: Before management of ethmoid osteomas with intraorbital and skull base extension, a thorough neurological, ophthalmological and imaging evaluation is required, in order to define the bounders of the tumor, carefully survey the severity of symptoms and signs, and precisely plan the optimal treatment. The endoscopic procedure can constitute an important part of surgery undertaken for giant ethmoidal osteomas. In addition, surgeons always have to take into account a possible CSF leak and they have to be prepared to resolve it.

This is a rare case report of a foreign metallic body found in the middle ear. During the use of an electric welding by a metalworker, a glowing drop of dissolved metal overrun, burning the skin of his external auditory meatus, perforated the tympanic membrane and finally was implanted around the ossicles as a foreign body. Due to difficulty of the physical examination and the moderate symptoms (hearing loss and sense of fullness), the foreign body was detected six months after the incident, by CT scanning and it was removed by a transcanal approach under general anesthesia. A successful ossiculoplasty-tympanoplasty was followed four weeks later.