You searched for "otology"
The video head impulse test: an aid to the diagnosis of spinocerebellar ataxias
Spinocerebellar and Friedreich ataxias (SCA and FA) by their nature present in neuro-otology clinics. The diagnosis is ultimately genetic but the authors investigated the characteristics of the VOR using the video head impulse test (vHIT) in order to distinguish between...
Use of topical steroids and antibiotics, compared to systemic antibiotics in the treatment of acute rhinusinusitis
Acute rhinusinusitis is mainly initiated by viral infections. Bacterial infection is usually superadded. The inflammatory cascade upregulates the pro-inflammatory mediators resulting in pain, nasal obstruction and nasal discharge. Local application of steroids and antibiotics could provide a higher concentration of...
Posturography in persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD)
Those in neuro-otology practice will be familiar with PPPD now appearing in the forthcoming beta edition of ICD-11. This condition combines the symptoms of phobic postural vertigo and chronic subjective dizziness in which anxiety plays a part. The underlying hypothesis...
A raised neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio predicts vestibular schwannoma growth
It has long been known that the neutrophil to lymphocyte count ratio (NLR) is a marker of inflammation and that a higher ratio relates to poorer outcomes in some malignant tumours including some head and neck cancers. Neutrophilia (and therefore...
New MRI technique assesses treatment response in skull base osteomyelitis
This paper describes another useful imaging technique to monitor Necrotising Otitis Externa (NOE). Echoplanar diffusion weighted magnetic resonance (DW MR) shows high signal on the ‘ADC map’ with active disease and this reduces in signal intensity as symptoms improve. This...
Cochlear implantation in SSD
There are currently several trials for cochlear implantation (CI) in single-sided deafness (SSD) being undertaken to answer some of the questions this paper from New York raises. Who is best suited to receive one? What are their outcomes and how...
When should that child’s wet ear be operated on?
The team from Birmingham have provided a meta-analysis to answer the question of when to perform a type 1 tympanoplasty on chronic paediatric perforations (under 18 year olds). Forty-five studies were included which resulted in 2609 cases. Closure rate at...Embrace the blue wave of ENT!
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When should we decompress the facial nerve in Bell’s Palsy?
It has been over three decades since Fisch popularised facial nerve (FN) decompression for Bell’s Palsy. Studies further exploring this have been few since, partly due to the major complications that can occur following this type of surgery. The current...
The effect of sleep deprivation on auditory processing
This article caught my eye for personal and professional reasons. As a full time ENT trainee working 24-hour on-calls, I also have young children who have never slept through the night and don’t respect weekends or days off. My FRCS...
Chronic facial pain: types and long-term treatment
This publication discusses the details and differences between chronic tension type headache and migraine and followed a cohort of 240 patients over 36 months. The authors applied strict criteria to distinguish between chronic tension headache and migraine, these essentially being...
