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Incidental thyroid nodules: should we observe or operate?

Thyroid nodules are extraordinarily prevalent, detected by physical examination in 7% and by imaging studies in 67% of the population. Although most of these nodules are benign, up to 20% are found to be malignant on excision. It’s a very...

Is there a ‘best’ ventilation tube?

Studies on grommet materials and sizes are not exactly new but this was a well-designed randomized study in Sweden with some useful findings. The extrusion rate and complications associated with four different ventilation tubes (grommets) were assessed prospectively in 400...

Fingernail for orbital floor reconstruction

Orbital damage is common in maxillofacial injuries and about half of them result in damage to the orbital floor. Suitable material that could be used for repairing the orbital floor includes autografts, allografts and alloplastic materials. The disadvantage of using...

Does cholesteatoma surgery affect school performance?

While much focus has been placed on short-term complications associated with cholesteatoma, a lack of knowledge remains about the impact suffering from cholesteatoma in childhood may have on educational outcome. The aim of the study was to investigate whether suffering...

Myringoplasty in a bottle?

Management of large traumatic TM perforations can involve observation and water precautions or surgical repair. Closure rates for larger perforations can be 8-12 weeks and occurs for between 38-79%. Animal and human studies have shown that exogenous application of epidermal...

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

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...

Treating keloid scarring with pressure clips following excision: does it work?

Keloid scars can pose a difficult management problem. Whilst not harmful in themselves they can be cosmetically unappealing and lead to social embarrassment and resulting isolation, and following surgical excision they often reoccur. Mechanical pressure is an adjuvant to surgical...

Botulinum toxin and drooling – how much, how often and where?

This was an incredibly useful article covering all aspects of the use of botulinum toxin as a treatment modality in sialorrhoea. The article starts by outlining why treating sialorrhoea is important and describes the non-pharmacological and pharmacological options, highlighting that...

Curettage adenoidectomy impairs eustachian tube function

Adenoidectomy is a common procedure undertaken for obstructive sleep apnoea and nasal obstruction. Curettage is the most common technique but is associated with complications (mucosal trauma, bleeding) that may cause eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). This study analysed changes in middle...

Approaching a ranula

The March issue of Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology is the first of two concentrating on oral surgery within the paediatric setting. It sets the scene with a paper on the anatomy of the paediatric oral cavity and the associated surgical...

Experience of the Sophono transcutaneous bone conduction system

This article is a frank discussion of the authors’ experience implanting these devices. The principle of the device is surgical implantation of a bilobed magnet within a bony well in the cranium (similar position to BAHA). The implant is a...