ENT features
Lancet Commission on Hearing Loss
The Lancet Commission on Hearing Loss was convened in 2019, and its main report will be published in 2023. We learn more about it here. The Lancet Commission on Hearing Loss was convened in 2019, and was charged by Richard...
In conversation with Prof Helge Rask-Andersen: on cell regeneration and treatment of human deafness
Helge Rask-Andersen, head of the inner ear research laboratory at the University of Uppsala in Sweden, has many achievements to his name. He was made an Honorary Member of ENT UK earlier this year. Gerry O’Donoghue caught up with him...
Otology training in low- and middle-income countries: a view from within
It is recognised that hearing loss and ear disease are far more common in less affluent parts of the world, and that those countries are often least able to provide treatment; so how can we prioritise care for these patients?...
Patron saints of the ear
We all know that ear symptoms include hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus and otalgia, but did you know there are patron saints for all these symptoms? John Riddington Young shares an overview of the patron saints of the ear, inspired by...
Malignant lesions and reconstruction of the pinna
External ear reconstruction can be challenging. Baskaran Ranganathan and Amr Abdelhamid describe how careful assessment, planning and surgery following the subunit principles and reconstructive ladder will ultimately lead to good aesthetic outcomes with restored form and function. The external ear,...
Patient experience of necrotising otitis externa
Necrotising otitis externa is increasing in incidence in the UK and becoming a rising burden to patients and health services. Despite a growing body of literature on this condition, we know very little about patient experience of necrotising otitis externa....
The outer ear in the visual arts
The ear is an exceptional organ, and quite rightly takes its place in the visual arts, as described by Albert Mudry, who takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the appearance of the ear and its depictions in art throughout...
How the earwig got its name
What are earwigs, and how are they connected with the ear? Amr Abdelhamid explains the etymology, myths and beliefs behind the pesky creature with the otological name. Earwigs are harmless insects of the order Dermaptera that are amongst the most...
The evolution in management of microtia and atresia
The management of microtia and atresia has evolved significantly. Ossama Abdelhamid and Amr Abdelhamid explain how a multidisciplinary approach has become standard, with the aim of delivering individualised assessment and intervention that should target functional, structural, cosmetic and psychological aspects...
OBITUARY: James Milner Robinson (1937 - 2021)
James Milner Robinson FRCS, formerly a consultant otologist to Gloucester and Cheltenham hospitals, died peacefully on 3 November 2021 at the age of 84 after several years of ill-health. In keeping with his lifelong love of nature and care for...
Mastoid surgery for cholesteatoma
Landmark Paper: Toner JG, Smyth GDL. Surgical Treatment of Cholesteatoma: a comparison of three techniques. Am J Otol 1990;11(4):247-9. Canal wall up or canal wall down? Chris Aldren discusses the landmark paper that attempted to provide a definitive answer for...
Endolymphatic sac surgery: controversial procedure for the treatment of Ménière’s disease
Landmark Paper: Thomsen J, Bretlau P, Tos M, Johnsen NJ. Ménière’s disease: endolymphatic sac decompression compared with sham (placebo) decompression. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1981;374:820-30. Of all of the chapters in the Landmark Papers book, the chapter that discussed...
