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More aggressive FESS for recalcitrant CRS is the key

This is an interesting paper assessing the effectiveness of endoscopic modified medial maxillectomy (MMM) in cases of recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), (the technique was also used for tumours, cystic fibrosis, FB, odontogenic disease and AFS) in 551 patients. The technique...

Role of high-resolution CT scans in the management of cholesteatoma

This review article has looked at 15 publications, comparing features noted in high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans of patients having cholesteatoma with actual intraoperative findings. This comparison was used to assess sensitivity and specificity of various abnormalities picked up by HRCT...

Gamma Knife surgery for persistent or recurrent trigeminal neuralgia

Treatment of trigeminal neuralgia continues to be challenging. The treatment options include pharmacotherapy, or failing this, surgical options like microvascular decompression (MVD), radiofrequency ablation, pencil beam convolution and Gamma Knife surgery. The authors of this article have presented a series...

Merocel vs Cutanplast Anal packing

This study compared two different nasal dressings after septoplasty. Seventy-six patients acted as their own controls by having one nostril packed with Merocel and one nostril somewhat improbably with Cutanplast Anal (gelatin sponge). It seems that the gelatin sponge was...

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) in posterior laryngitis

The authors of this study investigated the prevalence of acid reflux in the proximal oesophagus and functional gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with posterior laryngitis. They analysed plasma motilin as well as health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires before and after...

Transnasal oesophagoscopy: prospective cohort review

This paper looked at 257 patients undergoing the procedure in a tertiary otolaryngology department. In light of the morbidity of upper GI endoscopy associated with the sedation required, the safety profile of transnasal oesophagoscopy is a clear advantage. This cohort...

Head and neck radiation and the brain

An increasing number of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and other lesions are treated with high dose radiotherapy. An increase in survival rates is being reported along with a younger patient demographic. The long-term effects of treatment...

Do intratympanic injections require local anaesthesia?

Intratympanic injections are becoming increasingly acceptable in the management of Meniere’s disease, tinnitus and sudden hearing loss. This is because they avoid the need for hospitalisation and can be performed as low-cost outpatient procedures. It is traditional to freeze the...