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The evidence for various treatments of autoimmune ear disease

The difficulty with this disease entity is that it is a heterogeneous group of conditions affecting the ear and a widely accepted diagnostic criteria does not exist. It is therefore difficult to conduct a well controlled trial and this systematic...

Smoking and immunotherapy – does it worsen outcome?

This interesting study aimed to address the issue of smoking in patients who had their allergic rhinits treated by sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). Assessment was with validated quality of life questionnaires. There were 163 patients recruited in Greece who had completed...

“Rhinosweetometry”

An article that elicits a wry smile from the reader is worth drawing attention to particularly in the winter months. This account of brave self-experimentation is unlikely to lead to a future Nobel prize but nonetheless reinforces the important principle...

Assessment of the incidence of LPR in the Greek population using the Reflux Symptom Index

Using the self-administered nine-item Belafsky Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) questionnaire, the authors of this article assessed the prevalence of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) in the general adult Greek population as well as predisposing and associated factors for developing LPR. They found...

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...

Risk factors for TORS treatment failure in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers

HPV-related squamous cell cancers are an increasingly common cause of malignancy in the oropharynx. There is evidence that these cancers are associated with a significantly improved overall survival compared to conventional HPV-negative tumours. The optimal treatment for such cancers is...

Infant mental health and hearing loss

This interesting editorial explores an aspect in the field of research dedicated to promoting healthy social and emotional development and the prevention and treatment of mental health problems in very young children. Since babies learn through primary attachment relationships with...

Verbal memory and chronic speech and language disorders following stroke

Stroke is often associated with chronic language disorders like aphasia and apraxia as well as memory impairments. Studies have found that memory problems in stroke are often verbal memory disorders. This review article discusses the association between language and short-term...

Otoplasty equals happiness

There are frequent criticisms of procedures that are viewed as cosmetic therefore of no benefit to health. Here a German group have looked at the benefit of otoplasty on quality of life. They point out that ‘beautiful people have an...

Reducing readmission rates after transsphenoidal pituitary surgery

This retrospective study provides an outpatient care pathway to screen and manage delayed hyponatremia which the study identified as the primary cause of readmission following transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. Of the 303 patients who were studied, 27 were readmitted within 30...

Diagnosis of osteonecrosis of the jaw

Although the management of osteonecrosis of the jaw is usually provided by colleagues in maxillofacial surgery, it is essential for ENT surgeons to effectively diagnose the various presentations of this condition. Affected bone that is exposed and necrotic may remain...

Cochlear implanted children are more likely to have device failure if their balance function is impaired

We know that children with permanent hearing loss are more likely to have an associated balance problem. It is also thought that children with cochlear implants (CI) that fail do so because of an increased risk of falls and head...