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Interleukins, cilia and polyps
Interleukins (ILs) including IL13 (Th2 cytokine) are inflammatory mediators and their role in asthma has been detailed before. This study explores IL13 receptor expression in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The authors investigate protein and mRNA expression levels of...
Is a chest x-ray necessary in making urgent referrals for suspected head and neck cancer?
The article presents an audit on urgent referrals for suspected head and neck cancer in 2144 patients. Only 8.6% of cases proved positive for head and neck cancer. The Scottish Referral Guidelines were adhered only in 55.1% of cases. Interestingly,...
Consequences of tonsillectomy rationing?
This article examines Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics data to investigate the change in rates of tonsillectomy and admissions for tonsillitis and its complications, over a 20-year period. Between 1991 and 2011, 44% fewer tonsillectomies were performed....
Head and neck radiation and the brain
An increasing number of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and other lesions are treated with high dose radiotherapy. An increase in survival rates is being reported along with a younger patient demographic. The long-term effects of treatment...
Objective versus subjective – again!
The use of objective measurements of nasal airflow has a long history; however, its clinical application remains, at most, patchy. The main reason for that has been the lack of convincing studies showing a good correlation between the findings of,...
BAHA stability measurement in children
This useful paper reports the experience of using resonance frequency analysis for single stage bone-conduction implants in a paediatric population. A smartpegTM is attached to the abutment and vibrated by a close quarters magnetic field. The amount of vibration is...
Cheek reconstruction following melanoma excision
Malignant melanoma occurs most commonly on the cheek and thus is usually diagnosed early, and rarely needs large reconstructions for advanced disease. This is a retrospective study looking at 26 patients that had undergone treatment for cheek melanomas between 1996...
Steroids for vocal cord mucus retention cysts
This is an interesting paper that describes the use of intralesional steroid injections to treat vocal cord mucus retention cysts. The gold standard is microlaryngoscopy and excision of the lesion. In patients who may be unable to undergo surgery, this...
A new criterion for diagnosing chronic tonsillitis?
It is essential to establish the diagnosis of recurrent tonsillitis in patients undergoing tonsillectomy. This is based mainly on history which itself can be inaccurate and is supported by clinical findings which are not truly specific. There seems to be...
Dispelling the myths around stuttering and bilingualism
There are many myths around language development in bilingual children, and an increased risk of stuttering in bilingual children is one of these misperceptions. In research studies, speech and language therapists have identified higher numbers of dysfluencies in speech samples...
Stuttering and bullying - everyone’s business
This article emphasises that bullying (distinct from teasing- the former being defined as repeated actions intended as harmful, compared to good-natured interactions enjoyed by everyone) is an issue that can impact significantly on a child or young person’s ability to...
