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Congenitally anosmic patients do have fewer olfactory foramina

It has been previously established that patients with Kallman’s syndrome (very much associated with anosmia) have a similar number of cribriform plate foramina when compared to controls. As non-invasive CT assessment of the cribriform plate is now possible in cadavers,...

Hearing Loss – Fifth Edition

The updated fifth edition of Hearing Loss extensively covers the anatomy, physiology, diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss, providing clinicians with valuable insights based on the latest evidence and literature. The book notably includes expanded chapters on tinnitus, dizziness and...

Inspiratory peak flow and tracheostomy

The evaluation of the degree of laryngeal obstruction to indicate a tracheostomy has always been a subjective decision. The authors correlated the visual laryngeal obstruction by flexible nasolaryngoscopy and the peak inspiratory flow using a pocket peak inspiratory flowmeter. Twenty-two...

Righting the paralysed lip

Many surgical procedures that otolaryngologists perform put the facial nerve at risk of injury, a complication that the surgeon and patient fear alike. Unfortunately, injuries to the nerve can and do happen despite adequate precautions, and facial paralysis may be...

Benefits of combined antiviral and corticosteroid therapy in Bell’s palsy and the role of decompression surgery

Early use of steroids has been established as standard management in Bell’s palsy but simultaneous use of antiviral agents has variable acceptance. This review article analyses statistically based evidence to settle the issue. High quality evidence from a 2009 Cochrane...

3D ultrasonography for evaluation of muscles following facial palsy

Reconstructive surgery for facial nerve palsies is not recommended beyond two to three years after a degenerative facial nerve lesion. Since the time course of muscle atrophy is variable, this timeline is a rough guideline. The only assessment method currently...

Algorithm for malignant otitis externa

Timely detection and effective management of this potentially fatal condition cannot be overemphasised. This study presents 16 cases over 12 months in a tertiary referral centre. Most patients had diabetes and others were immunocompromised due to radiotherapy, immunosuppressive medication or...

Temporal bone fractures in children – are we doing enough?

This is a retrospective study which assessed clinical presentation and prognosis in 91 children under the age of 18 who developed temporal bone fractures from trauma, the commonest of which was falls from heights followed by motor vehicle accident. The...

Bell’s palsy outcomes

Bell’s palsy is a common, idiopathic, unilateral facial paresis or paralysis of sudden onset. This retrospective study reviewed the records of 193 patients diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. The patient’s clinical data, House-Brackman (h-B) grade, and data from five electrophysiological tests...

Oral versus oral and intratympanic corticosteroid treatment for sudden sensorineural hearing loss

The 2012 American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) clinical practice guidelines on sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) have two statements that address steroid use. Statement eight indicates an option to offer corticosteroid as initial treatment for...

Socially appropriate part 1: assessing people with TBI

Social communication disorders are one of the most common and yet most under-addressed sequelae of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Yet speech and language therapists report a lack of assessment tools and a lack of time to fully assess these...