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Pyriform turbinoplasty

This article describes a new operative technique to improve nasal airflow, the pyriform turbinoplasty. This specifically addresses the lateral part of the nasal valve where there may be impingement into the airway in select patients. This corresponds to the area...

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia

This is a very nicely written overview of this difficult condition by two expert rhinologists with a tertiary practice. The genetic basis, pathophysiology, diagnosis, natural history and available management options are all discussed. Clearly there is a large spectrum of...

Is non-allergic rhinitis as bad as allergic?

Non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) occurs when rhinitis symptoms are not associated with allergic, infective or anatomical reason. It is responsible for almost half of all cases of rhinitis and affects around 300 million worldwide. Assessing NAR patients’ quality of life (QoL)...

Incidental findings in paranasal sinus Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies

Incidental findings in the paranasal sinuses of mucosal thickening and polyps in MRI studies may cause concerns for clinicians and patients. The authors studied MRIs of 982 participants with a mean age of 58.5 years who randomly and independent of...

Nasal decongestants don’t improve Eustachian tube function

Prescribing nasal steroids and decongestants. It’s something most of us do routinely, in an effort to reduce chronic middle ear effusion in an adult by trying to improve eustachian tube (ET) patency. This study used clever devices (tube manometry and...

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...

Treatment of olfactory dysfunction

The sense of smell is crucial to our being able to relish food and experience our environment. Olfactory dysfunction has been trivialised or ignored previously, but the negative consequences of the loss of sense of smell are being increasingly highlighted....

Improving smell outcomes after sinus surgery: impregnated dressings?

There is much we can do to improve the airway of patients with chronic sinus disease, especially those with polyps. However, the olfactory outcomes are usually disappointing and patients miss this important sensory modality, which has an effect on their...

3D ultrasonography for evaluation of muscles following facial palsy

Reconstructive surgery for facial nerve palsies is not recommended beyond two to three years after a degenerative facial nerve lesion. Since the time course of muscle atrophy is variable, this timeline is a rough guideline. The only assessment method currently...

Zinc and rhinosinusitis

Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in general, and those with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) in particular, have been shown to have down-regulation of tight junction genes. Zinc, on the other hand, is well-known for its role in immune regulation and deficiency...

Nasal dermoids

This article goes through the fairly specific and unique condition of paediatric midline nasal dermoids. It goes through the epidemiology and then the embryology, reminding the reader that a protrusion of dura extends from the anterior cranial fossa through the...

Acute ENT activity in a teaching hospital

This Belgian prospective audit attempted to provide justification for the provision of a 24-hour emergency service at a large 1038-bed teaching hospital (with 31 ENT consultants). The authors looked at a one-month period during which 190 patients were admitted. They...