Conditions Treated
Acoustic Neuroma and Lateral Skull Base Disease
Lateral skull base disease includes Acoustic Neuroma (vestibular schwannoma), paragangliomas (Glomus) tumors, meningiomas, cholesterol granulomas, osteomyelitis and cancers of the skull base, encephalocele and spinal fluid leaks. All of these conditions generally require surgical intervention.
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss commonly occurs as a result of deterioration of the inner ear and/or auditory nerve (sensorineural hearing loss), or due to problems with the sound conduction mechanism, namely the ear canal, eardrum, the middle ear and the bones of hearing (conductive hearing loss). There are many options, both surgical and technological to improve hearing. Dr. Cristobal specializes in cochlear implantation and has implanted the second youngest patient in the nation to date.
Infectious Ear Disease
Ear disease due to infections are common and come in many forms. They are treated medically and sometimes surgically. These include infections of the ear canal, acute otitis media, chronic otitis media, eustachian tube dysfunction, chronic middle ear fluid, chronic drainage, cholesteatoma and mastoiditis.
Ear diseases specific to the pediatric population including congenital malformations, eustachian tube dysfunction, infections and hearing loss. Dr. Cristobal specializes in cochlear implantation and has implanted the second youngest patient in the nation to date.
Pediatric Ear Disease
Cancer of the head and neck is most commonly caused by squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma or melanoma. In some cases is infiltrates into the ear, temporal bone, facial nerve and sinuses.
EAR CANCER
Other Ear Disease
There are many other non infectious ear diseases including tinnitus, eustachian tube problems, ear canal narrowing and malformations, and trauma to the temporal bone.
Dizziness and Vertigo
Both spinning vertigo as well as general imbalance and disequilibrium can not only be frightening, but life altering. The Texas Ear Clinic has comprehensive vestibular (balance) testing equipment and experienced audiologists to test for such problems such as superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome, benign paroxysmal position vertigo (BPPV), vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis, Meniere’s disease, perilymph fistulas and vestibular migraine.
Facial Nerve Disorders
Less commonly known disorders of the facial nerve (the nerve that controls facial expression and function) include facial nerve schwannoma, Bell’s palsy and herpes zoster oticus.