You searched for "oropharynx"

169 results found

Themistocles Gluck – the true father of laryngectomy

Most head and neck surgeons and ENT-specialists may know that the first laryngectomy for cancer was performed by Billroth on 31 December 1873. Billroth´s assistant, Vincenz Czerny, had outlined the operation in experimental surgery on dogs in 1870. Three years...

Diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea hypopneoa syndrome (OSAHS) without sleep studies

Polysomnography is considered the ‘gold standard’ in the diagnosis of sleep apnoea but it is expensive and difficult to perform in children. Diagnosis based on subjective judgement is often inaccurate. An accurate diagnostic scale based on clinical parameters could obviate...

The newest robot from da Vinci – what can it offer for hypopharyngeal cancer surgery?

The standard existing da Vinci surgical robot (the Si model) has been much maligned for not being optimally designed for transoral access and endoscopic manoeuvrability in head and neck surgery. This preclinical work from Holsinger and his team looks at...

Transnasal oesophagoscopy (TNO) and balloon dilatation under a local anaesthesia

Many of us are becoming more and more familiar with the use of transnasal oesophagoscopy. It has a number of well-described uses in the outpatient setting and is well tolerated by our patients. Yakubu Karagama describes taking this technique a...

The lateral neck cystic mass – diagnostic dilemma. Can HPV status help?

Solitary cystic masses in the lateral neck can present a significant diagnostic dilemma as they can be metastases from tumours of the oro or nasopharynx. This retrospective paper detailed all patients presenting to a university hospital in Germany, from September...

Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (RCPD) - inability to burp: treatment with Botox injection

As unusual as it may sound, some people have great difficulty burping. We hear of one approach to tackling this problem. Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (RCPD) is a condition presenting with inability to burp, resulting in gaseous distension of the digestive...

Laryngology: past, present and future

Two laryngological authorities trace the history of laryngology, from ancient Rome to the modern day. The structure of the vocal folds was a matter of conjecture until the renaissance when anatomists such as Andreas Vesalius and Julius Casserius demonstrated the...

Paediatric ENT trauma

Managing trauma in children often strikes terror in doctors who do not deal with children regularly. Kate Stephenson explains the approach to a child who has suffered ENT trauma and specific things to look for in children. ENT injuries are...

No soup for you…! Early identification of postoperative perforation increases the success of conservative management

Iatrogenic perforation of the hypopharynx or cervical oesophagus is a well-recognised life-threatening complication. Previous studies have demonstrated that conservative management with broad-spectrum antibiotics and withholding oral feeding may avoid morbidity associated with surgical repair. This study addresses when conservative management...

Successful laser treatment of a laryngeal cause of dizziness

Dizziness is often considered to be a condition that is best managed by physicians or otologists. This case report describes an unusual cause of presyncope successfully treated by a laryngologist. The patient in question was a 45-year-old member of the...

Should we do oesophagoscopy during panendoscopy?

Panendoscopy entails a complete evaluation of the upper aerodigestive tract, and consists of oral inspection, direct laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy, oesophagoscopy, or some combination of these procedures. Despite many advances in imaging over the years, a skilled surgeon’s eyes remain superior in...

In the future there will be robots

This edition of review articles encompasses the emerging techniques of robotic surgery, written by international experts from centres that are increasing their repertoire of procedures. The treatment of oropharyngeal cancer is challenging irrespective of modality, as oncological and functional outcomes...