Search

Significance of abnormal retropharyngeal nodes in head and neck cancer

Abnormal retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLN) have prognostic relevance for patients with oral, oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, consensus on the evaluation and management of abnormal RLN in these patients is lacking. The authors of this paper provided...

Algorithm for malignant otitis externa

Timely detection and effective management of this potentially fatal condition cannot be overemphasised. This study presents 16 cases over 12 months in a tertiary referral centre. Most patients had diabetes and others were immunocompromised due to radiotherapy, immunosuppressive medication or...

Treatment outcomes and dose rate effects following gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannomas

Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is one of the definitive stereotactic radiotherapy treatment modalities for vestibular schwannoma (VS) management. Its efficacy depends on the cobalt-60 source which has a half-life of 5.26 years. According to the study authors, the actual rate...

Brown classification of a maxillary defect and prognosis

This is a retrospective study from Peking over the 10-year period, 2000-2010, for 137 patients with maxillary squamous cell carcinoma assessed. The overall survival rate was comparable with other studies at 64.8%. The most common Brown maxillary defect was 2b...

Speech predictors after glossectomy

This is a cross-sectional study from India where 69 patients were assessed for speech intelligibility and phonetics using an assessment tool in the local language. Volume defects were classified into thirds and the location of this defect noted. Not unsurprisingly,...

Volume changes in hemiglossectomy reconstruction

This paper analyses the volume changes in 10 patients, five of whom had hemiglossectomy reconstruction with a radial forearm free flap, whilst the other five patients had reconstruction with an anterolateral thigh flap. Both groups underwent postoperative radiotherapy. The volume...

Anterior skull-base surgery: current opinion

This review examines the changes in the field of anterior skull-base surgery and the rapid advancement that has taken place in the last 10–15 years. Tumours of the anterior skull base that were once considered inoperable are now routinely resected...

Are quinsies worth draining?

Recent data is providing accumulating evidence that treatment failure in the management of peritonsillar abscesses (PTAs, aka ‘quinsies’) is similar when these are managed with medical treatment (MT) alone versus MT plus surgical drainage (M+ST). However, in the absence of...