Thirty ears of 29 patients with different sized perforation of the tympanic membrane were operated on with the aid of rigid otoendoscopes. The technique has a significant novel feature: endoscopy of the tympanic cavity through a perforation with small tympanoscopes 1.7 mm in diameter with a 0%. The postoperative air-bone gap was less than 10 dB in 90% of the ears. It was concluded that tympanoscope-assisted myringoplasty is a reliable and simple procedure with the benefit of minimal trauma in healthy tissue and that it is a feasible approach for day-case surgery with an ordinary success rate of tympanic membrane closure and hearing results.

In recent years increasing evidence has been provided on frequent simultaneous coexistence of inflammatory diseases and allergies in upper and lower airways. To achieve a good standard of measurement of upper airways, an objective method should be used. A total of 48 nasal cavities with nasal stuffiness associated with chronic sinusitis were measured with acoustic rhinometry (AR) and High-resolution computer tomography volumetry (HRCTV). Comparison of volumes and minimum cross-sectional areas measured with these methods was performed. The volumes measured from the nostril with both methods were the anterior (0-10 mm), middle (11-40 mm) and posterior (41-70 mm) volumes. The AR cross-sectional area curve was analysed based on two minimal notches corresponding to local minimal areas. A series of 1-mm coronal CT images without intervening gaps were made and analysed based on two minimal voxel values, which were later converted to cross-sectional areas corresponding to local, minimum cross-sectional areas (MCA). Furthermore, the distances of these 2 MCAs from the nostril were also measured. Strong statistically significant (P < 0.05) correlations were found between AR and computer tomography volumetry (CTV) volumes in the anterior (r = 0.83) and middle (r = 0.77) parts of the nasal cavity. In the posterior part of the nasal cavity a statistically significant (P< 0.05) correlation was also found (r = 0.62). Good agreements between the AR and CTV volumes in the anterior and middle parts of the nasal cavities were confirmed with Bland-Altman plots. Correlations among the MCAs were weaker (r = 0.59 and r = 0.55). Our results suggest that the reliability of AR appears sufficient for clinical and scientific use in the nasal cavities. Reliability is very good in the anterior and middle parts of the nasal cavities, while strong conclusions based on evaluation of the posterior part should be avoided due to decreasing accuracy.

A transmyringeal endoscopic procedure for round window fistula repair is feasible and combines the best features of minimally invasive surgery and aural endoscopy.

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In order to study the variation within and between endoscopy and otomicroscopy a Gage repeatability and reproducibility design was created, with which the middle ears were studied of eight cadaver temporal bone blocks through the ear canal three times in random order using both methods. A Zeiss OPMT-1 operating microscope and Olympus endoscopes were used. The data were analysed in accordance with the analysis of variance principle, where the total variation was divided into different components. The anatomical areas were counted and registered via quadrants. There was a distinct difference between the results of the two methods in favour of the endoscopes. Furthermore, the variation between the methods and between the trials was analogous.