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Decreased paediatric myringotomy and insertion of ventilation tube rates during Covid 2019 pandemic

This study involves a province in Canada and claims that the need for paediatric myringotomy and insertion of grommets reduced to a third with public health measures aimed at reducing transmission of respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, in the Covid-19 pandemic....

Videofluoroscopy: A Multidisciplinary Team Approach

This book places videofluoroscopy in the context of a broader, more holistic approach to the management of patients with dysphagia. It recognises that this is perhaps currently the best available tool to aid our understanding of the physiology of normal...

Transnasal endoscopic repair of CSF leaks

This Italian study was a retrospective review of 110 consecutive patients who underwent repair of their CSF leak via the transnasal endoscopic approach from 2003 to 2013. All surgery was performed by the same primary surgeon and patients with a...

Vestibular paroxysmia, diagnostic controversy clarified?

Historically, the cause of vestibular paroxysmia (VP) had been attributed to neurovascular compression of the eighth cranial despite the observation that such compression is very common in asymptomatic subjects. This paper, part of International Classification of Vestibular Disorders (ICVD) by...

CSF leak – endoscopic or open repair?

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhoea is well known to the ENT surgeon. It commonly occurs secondary to a predisposing event such as accidental or iatrogenic trauma. When it occurs spontaneously, it can be associated with benign intracranial hypertension. The commonest CSF...

CT and intraoperative nerve monitoring to identify non-recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery

A non-recurrent laryngeal nerve (NRLN) is a rare (incidence 0.3% to 1.3%) anatomical variant that results in a higher rate of vocal cord palsy following thyroid surgery. This team from China examined the utility of preoperative CT and intraoperative nerve...

The lateral neck cystic mass – diagnostic dilemma. Can HPV status help?

Solitary cystic masses in the lateral neck can present a significant diagnostic dilemma as they can be metastases from tumours of the oro or nasopharynx. This retrospective paper detailed all patients presenting to a university hospital in Germany, from September...

X-ray vs. intraoperative testing for determining cochlear implant placement

Most cochlear implant centres confirm electrode position after surgery using X-rays to ensure optimal electrode placement. As well as transorbital view X-rays, this team check placement using impedance measures and neural response telemetry (NRT) performed intraoperatively. The former indicates whether...

Increasing tongue strength to reduce dysphagia: what is the potential benefit of a device driven exercise?

Weakness in tongue muscle strength and laryngeal elevation is known to have an adverse impact on swallowing function. Various swallowing exercises are often recommended to improve function of these important structures with the goal of preventing aspiration and improving swallow...