Journal Reviews
Soft tissue changes following maxillary osteotomy, comparison of three computer programmes
This small group of seven patients had a Le Fort I advancement maxillary osteotomy with vertical repositioning and alar base cinch sutures. They were assessed with cone beam CT’s three months preoperatively and one year postoperatively. A clinical comparison between...
Visual distraction helps patients tolerate flexible laryngoscopy
With the arrival of flexible fibreoptic laryngoscope some 35 years ago, the examination of the laryngopharynx has become remarkably easier and saves immense time and costs since the days of mirror examination when this examination was not truly satisfactory in...
Tonsillectomy in or out?
Although tonsillectomy is the most common surgical act performed in ENT practice, there is still some concern about the safety of outpatient or day surgery scheduling, especially in adults. Although this has been common practice in many departments for some...
Do nasogastric tubes affect aspiration risk?
A nasogastric tube (NGT) is frequently used for patients who are at risk of endotracheal aspiration of oral diet. However, this cannot eliminate the aspiration of saliva. The incidence of aspiration pneumonia in patients with NGT therefore remains high. Some...
Questionnaire to determine quality of life in Parkinson’s disease patients with swallowing problems
The quality of life (QoL) in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is often influenced by changes in their swallowing abilities. The authors of this paper have developed a valid, statistically appropriate questionnaire which is also clinically effective and can be...
A new criterion for diagnosing chronic tonsillitis?
It is essential to establish the diagnosis of recurrent tonsillitis in patients undergoing tonsillectomy. This is based mainly on history which itself can be inaccurate and is supported by clinical findings which are not truly specific. There seems to be...
Assessment and management of dysphagia in the elderly
This article covers dysphagia in older patients, which is an important topic due to an ageing population, and a relatively common symptom that we see in clinic. Dysphagia could be due to presbyphagia secondary to changes in head and neck...
Dispelling the myths around stuttering and bilingualism
There are many myths around language development in bilingual children, and an increased risk of stuttering in bilingual children is one of these misperceptions. In research studies, speech and language therapists have identified higher numbers of dysfluencies in speech samples...
Double suspension sutures for obstructive sleep apnoea
This study examines the benefit of an operation that targets the lateral pharyngeal wall. The double suspension sutures are, in essence, a suture through the palatopharyngeus muscle which is then tied around the hamulus in the retro molar area. This...
Globus – benign when the sole symptom
This is a prospective cohort study of Danish patients that presented to an otolaryngologist’s office with globus over the course of a year. They accounted for 4% of new patients, amounting to 122 patients in this study (57 patients were...
Who finds it hard to swallow?
Early identification of dysphagia in inpatients on acute stroke wards has been recommended as best practice guidelines in many countries. However, several institutions fail to use formal dysphagia screening protocols and rely on informal detection by nurses and doctors. This...
Office-based intralesional corticosteroids injections for subglottic stenosis. Is it effective?
Subglottic and proximal tracheal stenosis in adults has three main aetiologies: (a) prolonged endotracheal intubation; (b) idiopathic; (C) rheumatologic related. Endoscopic dilation is the mainstay treatment strategy for subglottic and proximal tracheal stenosis. Its major limitation is restenosis requiring repeated...
