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Immunosuppresants and ototoxicity

There is a wide range of immunosuppressant drugs ranging from calcineurin inhibitors (e.g. cyclosporine), anti-folic agents (e.g. methotrexate) to anti-TNF and monoclonal antibodies, many of which could be ototoxic. The authors performed a systematic review assessing ototoxicity secondary to immunosuppressant...

Scalp grafting as a reconstructive technique for severe alar retraction

Severe alar retraction is an acknowledged challenging aspect of revision rhinoplasty. Traditional grafting methods such as composite grafts, nasolabial flaps and cutaneous alar rotation flaps often carry limitations, including visible scarring, colour mismatch and reduced graft survivability. This retrospective cohort...

3D planning of soft-to-hard tissue ratios in orthognathic surgery

This multinational systematic review examined publications over a six-year period up to December 2023, focusing on orthognathic surgery. It follows an earlier review by the same group, which had reported low validity in the use of 3D software for soft-to-hard...

Scott-Brown’s Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 8th edition

If there’s one thing I love about a book review, it’s the unique opportunity to handle, peruse and imbibe a piece of work before it reaches the masses. There are few things more enjoyable than engaging with printer-fresh pages and...

Can laryngeal sensitivity testing predict aspiration and pneumonia in dysphagic patients?

The laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) is characterised by brief vocal cord closure in response to laryngeal stimulation. It is important in swallowing physiology as it represents a mechanism for airway protection. The authors of this study examined whether the absence...

Grading dysphagia as a toxicity in treating head and neck cancer

Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) is a system used by clinicians to grade the toxicity of oncology treatments in a standardised manner. Dysphagia is perhaps the most common long-term toxicity of head and neck cancer treatment. Currently, a...

What characterises dysphagia in unilateral vocal fold impairment?

The closure of the vocal folds during swallowing is known to contribute to airway protection along with epiglottic inversion and closure of the false vocal folds. It is therefore plausible to expect that unilateral vocal fold impairment without complete closure...

Mobile apps for ENT emergencies

On-call apps have been covered in this publication before, with reference apps taking centre stage [1]. This article will focus on apps with specific functions which can be of use in frequently arising emergency scenarios. However, for reference apps I...

Allergen specific subcutaneous immunotherapy helps in prolonged control of allergic rhinitis

One of the commonest allergens involved in perennial allergic rhinitis is house dust mite. A good proportion of these cases prove intractable to treatment with oral and intranasal antihistamines and intranasal steroid sprays. Immunotherapy is considered a useful alternative and...