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Speech analysis via mobile phone – is there an app for that?

Experienced ENT surgeons will often be able to discern the likelihood of significant laryngeal pathology in a patient referred with dysphonia by the sound of their voice during the initial history-taking phase of a consultation. With the move earlier in...

Semicircular canal dehiscence and cochlear implantation

Semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) is thought to occur in 3% of the population, it is mostly asymptomatic, but patients may present with sound-induced vestibular symptoms, low-frequency conductive hearing loss, autophony, hyperacusis and aural fulness. With the increasing utilisation of cochlear...

Gastrostomy tube dependence following TORS

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is now a well-established treatment modality for early (T1-T2) disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that one of its main benefits relative to conventional chemoradiotherapy is superior long-term functional outcome, especially with...

Continuous Ambulatory Vestibular Assessment (CAVA)

This article presents initial test findings using a novel system called CAVA - Continuous Ambulatory Vestibular Assessment. Akin to the 24-hour ECG tape to identify cardiac arrhythmias, this system aims to continuously monitor the presence of a nystagmus pattern in...

Corticosteroid prescribing in ENT - are we at risk of being sued?

Of medications leading to malpractice claims, corticosteroids comprise the third most common. They are used widely and have a significant side-effect profile: hypertension, lipodystrophy, diabetes, avascular necrosis of the femoral head, peptic ulceration and psychiatric reactions to name but a...

Impact of vestibular rehabilitation on patients with peripheral vestibular disorders

Vestibular rehabilitation is a widely used treatment for vestibular dysfunction. It can improve dizziness, fall risk, balance, and emotional status. However, some patients do not get benefit from vestibular rehabilitation. In this study, the authors assessed the impact of dizziness...

Pulsatile tinnitus, one more piece in the jigsaw

Pulsatile tinnitus (PT) is a common ENT symptom. It can generally be divided into venous and arterial. Arterial PT might be investigated with a CT scan while a venous one with an MRI or an MRV (MRI Venogram). Anecdotally, arachnoid...

How reliable is non-echoplanar diffusion-weighted MRI in picking up postoperative cholesteatoma in children?

Cholesteatoma occurs more often in children than in adults and is more aggressive, often resulting in ossicular erosion and marked conductive loss, amongst other more serious possibilities. Recurrence happens in all three methods used, namely canal wall up, canal wall...

Choosing instrumental assessments of swallowing for children

Swallowing disorders in children are increasingly common due to advances in medical care allowing them to survive prematurity or complex health conditions. Careful assessment of eating and drinking is necessary to ensure that children are managed both safely and with...

How rare is vocal fold paralysis after spinal and epidural anaesthesia – should we be more concerned?

The authors present an unusual case of right vocal fold paralysis. Their patient was a 38-year-old woman who experienced new onset dysphonia following neuraxial anaesthesia (NA) for a caesarean section. Flexible nasendoscopy showed a right VFP with fixation in the...

Do easier-to-swallow tablets improve medication adherence in people with dysphagia?

Swallowing tablets can be challenging for many people, but particularly so for those with a diagnosis of dysphagia. As a result, many medications are prepared in alternate formats including liquid, dissolvable or orally disintegrating tablets that dissolve on contact with...