Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have an elevated risk of developing a second primary malignant neoplasm (SPMN). These are of increasing concern because the number of survivors of HNSCC has been growing owing to early detection...
The incidence rate of sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS) has commonly been quoted as one in 100,000. However, since the advent of screening for asymmetrical hearing loss and increased availability of modern MRI scanning, more recent studies have shown the incidence...
In this article Vikranth Visvanathan describes an exciting development on the use of endoscopic technology in complex otological practice. Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) is rapidly evolving as a recognised method of addressing middle ear and mastoid pathology. Since its...
Thyroid nodules are present in between 21-68% of the general population. The evaluation of these nodules to exclude thyroid carcinoma includes fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and a non-diagnostic cytology result occurs between 8-20% of the time. This retrospective cohort study...
Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) and especially more invasive techniques of ART may be associated with an increase in neurodevelopmental problems including language delay. Some studies have reported slightly worse perinatal outcomes of IVF babies compared to naturally conceived babies. The...
This is the first cost effectiveness modelling study looking at the three main treatment options for small to medium sized vestibular schwannomas. This study uses the widely accepted cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) outcome measure to evaluate three...
It remains unclear for how long olfactory and gustatory losses persevere in patients with COVID-19. This is a prospective study of 300 patients who lost taste and smell within seven days of contracting COVID-19. The patients were objectively assessed with...
n this study, 39 patients from Turkey with obstructive sleep apnoea (of varying severity) underwent an expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty. This operation was devised by Prof Kenny Pang in Singapore and involves using the palatopharyngeus muscle and partly relocating it laterally...
It is estimated that 2% of people in the United States have autism. The DSM 5th edition defines the autism spectrum diagnosis criteria as when an individual has social communication difficulties, as well as restrictive and repetitive behaviours. One intervention...
A pilot study is currently underway in preparation for a UK National Eye Health and Hearing Study (UKNEHS). This will help to ensure an up-to-date and comprehensive picture of sight and hearing loss among over 50s in the UK.
This story is dedicated to my dear friend and much-missed colleague, Heinz Stammberger, with whom some of these moments were shared (or endured). Having used a rigid endoscope in my postgrad thesis in the early 1980s to show that the...
In a typical audiology clinic, on any given day, a person is waiting to see an audiologist to get a hearing aid (HA). It might have taken over 10 years to get to this point of considering a hearing aid(s)...