You searched for "America"

1643 results found

How useful is AHI?

There is a growing unease in the sleep medicine world about the usefulness of the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI). Most of our objective evidence about obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is in some way related to the AHI, and the respiratory physicians...

Low risk options following failure of intratympanic gentamicin for Meniere’s

This article is a useful summary of the options available when intratympanic gentamicin (ITG) fails to adequately control vertigo episodes in Meniere’s patients. The authors describe the anatomical reasons that may impede drug delivery to the round window with the...

Adenoidal hypertrophy in children with allergic rhinitis

Nasal congestion in children with allergic rhinitis can be confounded by adenoidal hypertrophy. This retrospective Turkish study examines this association in more detail. The sample studied was 566 children (age 2-18) that were diagnosed (based on ARIA guidelines) and treated...

Incidental thyroid nodules: should we observe or operate?

Thyroid nodules are extraordinarily prevalent, detected by physical examination in 7% and by imaging studies in 67% of the population. Although most of these nodules are benign, up to 20% are found to be malignant on excision. It’s a very...

Persistent dysphonia due to cricothyroid muscle dystonia – should we be requesting laryngeal EMGs for non-resolving ‘functional’ dysphonia?

This article is an interesting report of a case of persistent voice problems affecting a 43-year-old physician that significantly compromised her ability to converse and communicate at work. Specifically, she had a fluctuating voice quality that would ‘choke off’, combined...

Darn it! It’s going to take longer to get good at stapes surgery!

Traditionally, it has been said the learning curve for a particular operation lies between 20 and 30 cases. In stapedotomy, a surgeon is deemed successful and perhaps competent if closure of the air-bone gap (ABG) is reached to within 10dB...

Otolith dysfunction in congenitally deaf adults

This paper helps to further define the profile of ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (o and c VEMPs) in patients with congenital profound sensorineural hearing loss (PSHL). It highlights the prevalence of otolith (saccular and utricular) dysfunction that exists...

Method of delivery: all topical nasal corticosteroids are not made equal

There is an increasing body of evidence that the role of surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis is to facilitate the delivery of topical medical treatment – most notably, topical corticosteroids. Two recent studies, one using flow dynamics and another one examining...

Time to endoscopic sinus surgery and outcomes

A well written prospective study, which demonstrates that patients who require endoscopic sinus surgery, should be operated on without long delay since this achieves better and more sustained outcomes. There were 1493 patients undergoing primary nasal surgery who had completed...

Medialisation laryngoplasty can relieve pain related to voice use

Odynophonia, or pain associated with voice use, is a relatively uncommon manifestation of glottal insufficiency related to vocal fold motion impairment (VFMI). Its incidence is approximately 15% in patients with vocal fold paresis. Medialisation laryngoplasty (ML) was popularised by Isshiki...

A histological test for LPR?

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is often considered to be a contributory factor to the development of a spectrum of laryngeal abnormalities including vocal cord leukoplakia and dysplasia. This is especially the case when traditional risk factors, such as tobacco smoking, are...

Treatment algorithm for olfactory disorders

The purpose of this paper is to review the current evidence in diagnosing olfactory disorders and suggest an algorithmic approach to patients with relevant complaints. Age-associated olfactory loss is often multifactorial and requires a careful history and physical exam. A...