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Communicating with patients in 
‘Plain English’

Physicians have long been accused of using unnecessarily complicated language and impenetrable jargon as a way of maintaining their status, prestige and high earnings-potential, bamboozling the public and excluding them from meaningful discussion as part of what George Bernard Shaw...

Developing medical devices for children: opportunities and challenges

The development of medical devices for infants and children lags significantly behind the development of devices for adults. While in the United States the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set up incentives for developing child age-specific pharmaceuticals, there is...

Thyroid nodules – time for a rational imaging approach

“The more you know, the harder it is to take decisive action. Once you become informed, you start seeing complexities and shades of gray. You realize that nothing is as clear as it first appears. Ultimately, knowledge is paralyzing.” Calvin,...

Imaging tinnitus

Tinnitus is a common sensation with a reported prevalence of 7-32%. The British National Study of Hearing recorded that 10% of adults suffered from prolong spontaneous tinnitus, and approximately a quarter of these are subsequently referred to hospital for investigation...

Radiology of referred otalgia

Otalgia is a common presenting complaint to Ear Nose and Throat Departments. Otalgia is either primary or secondary (referred) [1]. Referred otalgia is a ‘red flag’ symptom and can be a diagnostic challenge for clinicians and radiologists as the pathology...

Thoughts on war: von Clausewitz revisited

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition: And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall...

Specialist teams deliver world-class trauma care

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust runs the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, which is a designated Major Trauma Centre. The Trust holds the contract to treat all UK injured military personnel evacuated from combat zones overseas. More than 1200 of...

The structure and function of DNA

DNA structure and replication Genetic information within multicellular organisms, including man, is stored in molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which reside within the chromosomes of each cell nucleus. A DNA molecule consists of two very long chains, or strands, of...

The British Laryngological Association and Industry

In 2011 British laryngologists Martin Birchall and Guri Sandhu, assisted by ENT SpR Chad Al Yagachi, organised the first highly successful three-day international ‘Cutting-Edge Laryngology for the 21st Century’ conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in London. The Kenes...

Giacomo Puccini’s laryngeal cancer

Giacomo Puccini, one of the best known composers of all time, was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer and died from the disease in 1924. In this article, Rosario Marchese-Ragona and Alessandro Martini describe Puccini’s experience of the disease with quotes from...

Harnessing head and neck cancer genomics for personalised medicine

Luc Morris updates us on the future of cancer diagnosis and treatment, which lies in “personalised oncology”, where specific molecular alterations of each tumour will be identified, and matched with actionable alterations in existing therapies, ushering in the era of...

Tone deafness and perfect pitch

If you think you are tone deaf, do not despair. Singing tuition should help but it is probably too late to hope to develop perfect pitch. Consultant otolaryngologist and keen musician, Chris Aldren, discusses the complex and fascinating subject of...