Following their caudal migration at eight weeks of development, the parathyroid glands normally locate posterolaterally to the upper pole of the thyroid gland at the level of the cricoid cartilage (superior parathyroid glands arising from the fourth branchial pouch and...
The association of HPV in oropharyngeal cancer has identified a ‘new disease’, with its unique biologic behaviour, and challenges for clinicians in selecting therapeutic combinations offering maximum efficacy and minimum morbidity or long-term sequela currently under study in clinical trials....
The Marvel Cinematic Universe could certainly be deemed an ‘extreme environment’ and yet very rarely do we see the Avenger’s popping to the clinic for a check-up. Hee-Young Kim has wondered how they cope with extreme pressure changes and discusses...
A week of surgical exchange in Ghana reveals the power of collaboration, resilience and mutual learning in advancing global ENT care. Isabelle JM Williams. Isabelle’s perspective It was a Saturday lunchtime at Heathrow airport, terminal 3. Professor David Howard, Miss...
Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is often considered to be a contributory factor to the development of a spectrum of laryngeal abnormalities including vocal cord leukoplakia and dysplasia. This is especially the case when traditional risk factors, such as tobacco smoking, are...
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has become an increasingly utilised treatment modality in the management of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Postoperative haemorrhage, although uncommon, is a significant complication. To ameliorate this risk, transcervical ligation of branches of the external carotid...
The incidence of post-extubation dysphagia (PED) is reported to be about 12% in the general ICU population and around 18% in patients admitted to ICU as emergencies. PED was found to be an independent predictor of 28-day and 90-day mortality....
The da Vinci robotic surgical system has transformed how oropharyngeal head and neck surgery can be delivered. The existing da Vinci Si model has challenges: the dimensions of this are larger than would be ideal for head and neck surgery...
The aim of this study was to assess the safety of elective cervicofacial rhytidectomy following radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). A greater proportion of HNSCC patients are infected with certain strains of the human papillomavirus, which...
Published in 2016, this is a textbook that I have cited and recommended in a number of talks on transoral laser microsurgery (TLM). The content and layout is very similar to that of Steiner and Ambrosch’s Endoscopic Laser Surgery of...
When I was first presented with the Halloween-like graphic that is displayed on the cover of this 230-page book, I wondered what scary stories may lie ahead. To my delight, by the time I’d turned over the first few pages,...
This is a fascinating case report of a 66-year-old man who presented with a carcinoma of the piriform sinus. During chemoradiotherapy, he developed dyspnoea, dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia. His chemoradiotherapy was stopped and he underwent a pharygnolaryngectomy. When the surgical...