Journal Reviews

Improving the temporal contour in reconstruction

1 January 2017 | | Muscle-sparing, pericranial flap, skull base reconstruction, skull base, temporalis muscle flap

A feature of the temporalis flap is the sunken contour left behind. This group from Japan present a variation for filling defects for which we would traditionally use a temporalis muscle containing. The laterally based peri-cranial flap they present uses...

Safe distances in the infratemporal fossa

1 January 2017 | | infratemporal fossa, skull base surgery, three-dimensional reconstruction

This analysis from China involved 50 enhanced CT datasets to reconstruct the skull, internal carotid artery and the internal jugular vein. The anatomical routes of these vessels were related to the styloid process, height of the pterygoid plates, distance from...

Outcome of TORS to tongue base and epiglottis in patients with OSA intolerant of conventional treatment

1 September 2016 | | Epiglottoplasty, Obstructive sleep apnea, Robotic surgery, Tongue base reduction, Transoral

The use of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in ENT is rather controversial, but the use of robotic surgery for obstructive sleep apneoa (OSA), makes it doubly so. Previous studies on TORS in OSA have been performed with other types of...

Risk factors for TORS treatment failure in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers

1 March 2016 | | human papillomavirus (HPV), oropharyngeal, p16, prognostic factors, transoral robotic surgery (TORS)

HPV-related squamous cell cancers are an increasingly common cause of malignancy in the oropharynx. There is evidence that these cancers are associated with a significantly improved overall survival compared to conventional HPV-negative tumours. The optimal treatment for such cancers is...

Sialendoscopy assisted excision of parotid stones

1 March 2016 | | Parotid gland sialolithiasis, Sialendoscopic-transcutaneous, Sialendoscopic-transoral

This is a retrospective paper from China that looks to assess the efficacy and safety of sialendoscopy with a combined transoral or transcutaneous approach for the removal of parotid stones. Sialolithiasis is known to be a cause for obstructive parotid...

Intermediate risk factors SCC tongue

1 November 2015 | | intermediate risk, oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC), perineural invasion, vascular invasion

This retrospective review from Japan assessed 89 patients who underwent surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, specifically they reviewed the evidence of perineural and vascular invasion (27.0% and 23.6%). Their results suggest, not unsurprisingly, that perineural and vascular...

When ears go bad

1 September 2015 | | Cancer, External auditory canal, Squamous cell carcinoma, Surgical management, Temporal bone malignancy, Temporal bone resection

Whilst rare, squamous cell carcinoma is the commonest primary malignancy of the temporal bone and is discussed in this review article. This tumour frequently presents with otalgia, ottorhoea and hearing loss; less commonly, with facial palsy or parotid mass. Investigations...

Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia; which one is this one?

1 March 2015 | | Head and Neck | lichen planus, oral leukoplakia, squamous dysplasia, squamous tumorigenesis, verrucous hyperplasia

Oral leukoplakia has the potential for malignant change and it may frequently require histological analysis and a period of regular clinical observation. The majority of oral leukoplakia remains constant but there is a subset that progress to carcinoma. The authors...

In the future there will be robots

1 November 2014 | | Skull Base Surgery, Head and Neck | Partial pharyngectomy, Robotic surgery, Squamous cell carcinoma, Tonsil cancer, Transoral resection

This edition of review articles encompasses the emerging techniques of robotic surgery, written by international experts from centres that are increasing their repertoire of procedures. The treatment of oropharyngeal cancer is challenging irrespective of modality, as oncological and functional outcomes...