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Persistent symptoms of smell loss after COVID-19 infection

Anosmia as a result of COVID-19 infection is well recognised. This timely and topical French paper looks at 115 patients with proven SARS-CoV-2 infection, who were contacted with specific questions about olfactory and gustatory disturbance. They found 81% of patients...

Don’t be too apologetic: disclosing communication difficulties

People who stutter are frequently considered less intelligent or less confident, and are often discriminated against. These negative perceptions have been found to differ slightly across different cultural groups. For Hebrew speakers in Israel, having a stutter can have a...

Indication and timing of electrodiagnostic tests in facial palsy

This excellent review describes the benefits and limitations of electrodiagnostic testing for patients with facial paralysis. Tests such as Schirmer, stapedial reflex and electrogustometry have been largely replaced by neurophysiologic tests like nerve excitability test (NET), electroneuronography (ENoG), surface electromyography...

A new idea for olfactory recovery, but not the evidence to support it

Smell training for olfactory loss of all types is a well-recognised treatment, and the typical regimen of rose, clove, lemon and eucalyptus is frequently used. This study looks to compare using eight essences rather than four to see if this...

Is GERD linked to CRS?

We are all well aware that both chronic rhinosinusitis and reflux are prevalent in our populations. This meta-analysis looked at 25 studies investigating the association between GERD, LPR and CRS, therefore evaluating more than 117,000 patients. The results are fascinating...

Quinsy and culture

Peritonsillar abscesses are frequently encountered in clinical practice. Standard treatment includes empirical medical treatment and drainage. This study aimed at evaluating the value of culture and sensitivity testing of the aspirate in guiding antibiotic treatment. Patients received empirically amoxycillin, amoxycillin...

Endolymphatic pressure disturbances precede endolymphatic hydrops on MRI in definitive Ménière’s disease

The diagnosis of Ménière’s disease is clinical, and the authors tried to verify if endolymphatic hydrops (EH) could be demonstrated on MRI. In this prospective study, they analysed 3D3T FLAIR MRI images of 32 ears with definitive Ménière’s disease (DMD)...

Sex and the Nose

For regular attentive readers of our little magazine, JRY will need no introduction. The word ‘polymath’ barely does him justice: a Colonel in the Medical Corps with an MPhil in poetry and apparently one of the “50 coolest people in...

The right kit matters… How important is video recording in FEES?

As a portable alternative to videofluoroscopy, fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is often carried out at the patient’s bedside. The authors of this paper have chosen to examine the reliability of the penetration-aspiration ratings (Rosenbek scale) of FEES examinations...