Recent advances in surgery of the temporal bone and skull base

Remarkable advances have been made in the field of neuro-otologic and skull base surgery within the past decade. Each component of the "disease model"--prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and rehabilitation--is undergoing rapid progress. The purpose of this paper is to highlight only a few of these achievements. Each topic chosen has witnessed recent advancement in one aspect of the disease model. Neurofibromatosis (prevention) has been subjected to chromosomal mapping, allowing for genetic counseling. Intraoperative facial nerve monitoring (diagnosis) has allowed improved anatomic and functional preservation of this nerve during surgery. Embolization of glomus tumors (therapy) has rendered these difficult lesions more surgically manageable, and cochlear implantation (rehabilitation) has allowed the profoundly deaf to play a more active role in society. Each of these topics is briefly discussed as it relates to the temporal bone surgeon.