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Are vascular loops at the CPA of any clinical significance?

Neurotologists have grappled with this question for many years. The aim of the study was to determine the clinical relationship of vertigo symptoms with vascular loop compression syndrome using 3D T2WI turbo spin echo high-resolution MRI. The study included 417...

Objective testing for Eustachian tube dysfunction

Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is typically diagnosed based on subjective symptoms and examination leading to wide variation in its diagnosis and management. The search for an objective test has looked at ways of measuring the passage of air through the...

Novel wax solvent

This paper describes an open label, prospective study undertaken by the authors to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a novel topical wax solvent. This new product has a dual action using a bicarbonate system to disrupt the esters and...

Effects of age on neuro-physiological processing of speech at brainstem level

Degenerative changes associated with ageing may affect processing of spectral and temporal cues in speech at cortical and subcortical levels, even though these individuals may have normal audiometric thresholds. These changes are more likely to be picked up by speech...

Options for the endoscope and acquired cholesteatoma

This was a thought-provoking article examining the reasons why the authors believe that the endoscope is enabling an improved understanding of acquired cholesteatoma and its management. They describe in depth the ventilation pathways of the middle ear, and how they...

Planning for end of life care: is there a role for the speech and language therapist?

This article presents a scoping review of the research literature on the role of speech and language therapists in palliative care settings. The researchers conducted a search using several electronic databases focusing on palliative, terminal and end of life (EOL)...

A comparison of same day with staged bilateral cartilage graft tympanoplasty for tubotympanic CSOM

This randomised, controlled study compares the tympanoplasty outcomes in two groups of patients: one undergoing bilateral tympanoplasty on the same day (18 patients, 36 ears) and the other having the same procedure done on different days, with a gap of...

Surgery or medicine: when should we stop trying to be conservative?

Although most otolaryngologists would agree that surgery improves the outcomes of patients with CRS when medical treatment has failed, both Cochrane reviews state that there is no proof of improved efficacy of surgery over medicine – however, that was after...

A beginner’s guide to endoscopic ear surgery (EES)

For some, this article will not provide them with anything new with respect to EES – in particular, the advantages of the technique and how to achieve them. However, for those surgeons who are debating whether to embark on the...

Saline irrigation in CRSwNP after surgery

This article, largely from Germany, aims to prove the effectiveness of nasal saline irrigation in postoperative patients with CRS with nasal polyps. A prospective, single blinded randomised trial was designed with an irrigation and non-irrigation arm. Patients who underwent sinonasal...

Paediatric pituitary surgery - is it lagging behind?

Endoscopic sellar surgery, especially for adenomas, is a relatively safe, straightforward surgery with (mostly) reproducible results and few complications. However, the evolution of pituitary surgery was a long process, starting from open/transfrontal approaches all the way to transsphenoid to the...

Minimal or not so minimal?

Parathyroidectomy is usually a straightforward technique when the target gland has been accurately determined. Surgical excision is usually through a small midline incision. With the advent of video assisted surgery, trials have been made to use this technique in parathyroidectomy....