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Improving the temporal contour in reconstruction

A feature of the temporalis flap is the sunken contour left behind. This group from Japan present a variation for filling defects for which we would traditionally use a temporalis muscle containing. The laterally based peri-cranial flap they present uses...

Is major ear surgery financially viable?

It is difficult to ignore the present reality in the NHS that understanding clinical coding is perhaps of more relevance to the practising clinician than the human genome! Clinician engagement is becoming more essential to protect patient care and maximise...

Two for one forearm flaps

There are many and varied free flaps available for reconstructions. Here is a variant on the workhorse radial free forearm flap. The modification involves a longer, narrower flap that can be rotated back on itself to increase the flap width...

3D printed temporal bones for drilling are here!

It was only a matter of time before the 3D printer was used to help us with simulated temporal bone (TB) drilling. This group printed three paediatric TB models and evaluated their quality. They were found to be of ‘high...

Swahili speech development in pre-school children

This study describes the speech development of 24 typically developing first language Swahili speaking children between the ages of three and five years 11 months in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and was motivated by the 2013 position paper drafted by...

Vestibulo-ocular reflex and postural control in deaf children

The authors evaluated the impact of canal paresis detected by video head impulse test (vHIT) on postural control tested by platform posturography in children with sensorineural hearing loss. The study included 55 children (4-16 years old) with variable degrees of...

How common is oropharyngeal dysphagia amongst the adult population?

It is well known that oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is a symptom arising from many different aetiologies or disease conditions and that it is a significant morbidity affecting people’s quality of life. Establishing the prevalence of OD is complicated by the...

Comprehensive Management of Vestibular Schwannoma

This is the Holy Grail of texts for anyone involved in the management of vestibular schwannoma. Edited by Matthew Carlson from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the Associate Editors are from the same department, but the 156 contributors to...

Skull base imaging: a review

This excellent review paper describes the anatomy, imaging protocols and differentiating imaging findings on CT and MRI in myriad skull base lesions. Skull base protocol MRI and thin section CT are required to evaluate all skull base lesions. According to...

Salvage surgery vs. repeat stereotactic radiosurgery for progressing vestibular schwannomas

This large multicentre case series of patients treated twice with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for progressing vestibular schwannomas (VS) is reported by the International Gamma Knife Radiosurgery consortium. Progression of tumour growth after primary SRS is rare but does occur. Complications...

Is there a need for magnetic resonance imaging six-month post-radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma?

With advances in imaging and radiation technologies, small, slowly growing vestibular schwannomas (VS) are treated primarily with either observation or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Routine magnetic resonance (MRI) scans with gadolinium are obtained six months and one year after SRS in...