You searched for "INTEGRATE"
Smoking causes cancer – so what’s new?
You may well ask what is the novel value of a paper looking at smoking habits in patients with confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but this paper highlights some pertinent points for clinical practice in the current...
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...
How effective is vestibular rehabilitation in bilateral vestibular failure?
In patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH), the outcome of vestibular rehabilitation is mixed. The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with outcome of vestibular rehabilitation (VR) in patients with BVH. A retrospective case notes review identified...
Importance of the time interval between surgery and postoperative radiation therapy in head and neck cancer
The ideal time to start postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) in head and neck cancer patients has been an issue of debate. In the USA, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends initiating radiotherapy within six weeks from surgery. The six-week...
Advances in neural stimulation of the auditory pathway
This article reviews the use of neuroprosthetic devices such as cochlear and auditory brainstem implants (ABI) to stimulate the auditory pathway, discussing the successes, limitations and advances in this area. Currently, neuroprosthetic devices deliver electrical impulses to the cochlear nerve...
Endoscopic stapes surgery - pearls and pitfalls
Endoscopic ear surgery has gained popularity in recent years with wide panoramic visualisation of the operative field one of its key strengths. This article summarises the approach, set-up and outcomes of patients undergoing endoscopic stapes surgery. A key step during...
Pharyngoplasty for palatal snoring
This prospective Belgian study looked at the benefits of barbed reposition pharyngoplasty in the management of patients with isolated unilevel palatal snoring. This technique involves using a barbed suture and repositioning the palatopharyngeal muscle in a more lateral and anterior...
Introduction to Sound: Acoustics for the Hearing and Speech Sciences
The fifth edition of Charles E Speaks’ Introduction to Sound Acoustics for the Hearing and Speech Sciences is a comprehensive, teaching-first textbook spanning 11 chapters. It begins with the nature of soundwaves presented in concise, well-structured sections on transmitting mediums,...
Parathyroid pearls
This article serves to deliver some pearls of wisdom in parathyroid surgery for the ‘low volume parathyroid surgeon’. They have been divided into those relating to the preoperative diagnosis, imaging and localisation techniques and surgical difficulties. Recognised sources of error...
Botulinum toxin injection for bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis
All traditional surgical treatments for bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) paralysis are essentially a balance between maximising airway patency and ensuring adequate phonation / airway protection. This paper highlights the potential role of botulinum toxin (Botox) injection into the cricothyroid...
Treating middle ear conditions in developing countries
This month’s journal issue discussed global health in otolaryngology with this paper focusing on the management of chronic middle ear disease in the developing world. Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is more common in developing countries. The reason for this...
