Search

Is bone cement a cost-effective solution?

This study looks at the functional results of 52 patients who underwent bone cement ossiculoplasty. Patients were divided into four groups based on ossicular disruption. Group 1 (30 patients) had lenticular erosion only. Group 2 (13 patients) had absent incus....

High dose betahistine as effective as, but slower acting compared to intratympanic dexamethasone in intractable Meniere’s disease

The management of intractable Meniere’s disease poses a complex conundrum to otolaryngologists. The focus of treatment is decreasing the severity and frequency of vertigo and tinnitus whilst trying to preserve hearing. Betahistine has been used for many years in the...

Semicircular canal dehiscence and cochlear implantation

Semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) is thought to occur in 3% of the population, it is mostly asymptomatic, but patients may present with sound-induced vestibular symptoms, low-frequency conductive hearing loss, autophony, hyperacusis and aural fulness. With the increasing utilisation of cochlear...

Cochlear implants in the over 80s

The UK has an ageing population. Seven percent of the over 80s population have bilateral severe to profound hearing loss which can lead to associated negative outcomes (social isolation, depression and reduced quality of life). Cochlear implantation (CI) can successfully...

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...

Tactile Sensing and Displays: Haptic Feedback for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Robotics

This book has a catchy title and due to my interest in developing simulation systems for training in surgery I was delighted to be asked to review. However, I found it very hard going and the first few chapters are...

Is a chest x-ray necessary in making urgent referrals for suspected head and neck cancer?

The article presents an audit on urgent referrals for suspected head and neck cancer in 2144 patients. Only 8.6% of cases proved positive for head and neck cancer. The Scottish Referral Guidelines were adhered only in 55.1% of cases. Interestingly,...

Atlas of Ear Diseases

In this self-published atlas, the author has approached the external ear and middle ear pathologies on the basis of classification of diseases, emphasising the added benefits of using of an oto-endoscope in identifying the external and middle ear pathologies. The...

Metaplasia of the concave septum

This group conducted a one year prospective study and sampled mucosa from 42 randomly selected patients with septal deviation at a single centre. They found significantly higher rate of squamous metaplasia and lymphocytic infiltration in septal mucosa on the concave...

Malignant change of pleomorphic adenoma

Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common salivary gland tumour. The potential to undergo malignant transformation is rare but well described. The authors of this article present a case report of metastasis where the preceding submandibular gland pleomorphic adenoma preserves its...

Sublingual gland tumour resection

This paper from South Korea analyses the pathology arising from 20 malignant sublingual gland tumours. Adenoid cystic carcinoma followed by mucoepidermoid carcinomas were the most common. Tumour invasion into the lingual nerve was detected in 40% of cases, and into...

Is it worth paying for group therapy?

Group therapy for post-stroke communication difficulties has been described in the research literature for more than 50 years and is generally considered an efficacious approach. Yet these authors express concern that the American Medicare system is less willing to fund...