Third Mobile Window Syndromes: New Insights in Pathomechanisms, Instrumental Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

Since the first description of superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) in 1998, an abundance of basic science and clinical research has supported modeling an additional opening in the inner ear as a third mobile window (TMW). Bony defects in the otic capsule bone such as over the superior semicircular canal result in a new low-impedance pathway in the inner ear for sound and pressure stimuli, accounting for several audio-vestibular symptoms and signs. The general term TMW syndrome has then been extended to a variety of abnormalities of the otic capsule sharing a similar clinical spectrum, such as enlarged vestibular aqueduct and dehiscences of the posterior and horizontal semicircular canals, cochlea and facial nerve. Beyond findings of sound/pressure-induced vertigo and nystagmus, low-frequency negative bone conduction thresholds on audiometry and enhanced vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses, a wider range of atypical symptoms and abnormalities on clinical testing has been reported. Some physiologic and clinical aspects of TMW syndromes remain incompletely understood. Furthermore, consensus on the most effective surgical treatment is lacking.

The aim of this special Issue is to generate insights about clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatments strategies for TMW syndrome disorders, uncovering mechanisms of pathophysiology, and emphasizing differential diagnosis and outcomes following interventions. Original research manuscripts and reviews relevant to TMW syndromes are welcome.

Dr. Andrea Castellucci
Dr. Bryan Kevin Ward
Dr. Raymond Van De Berg
Dr. Leonardo Manzari
Guest Editors

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• third window syndrome
• canal dehiscence
• Tullio phenomenon
• conductive hearing loss
• enlarged vestibular aqueduct
• labyrinthine fistula
• vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials
• video-head impulse test
• vestibulo-ocular reflex