Journal Reviews archive for July 2015
Beware of GPA as a cause of subglottic stenosis
Up to 92% of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) have concurrent ENT manifestations of the disease. Whilst we are familiar with sinonasal and middle ear presentations of GPA, subglottic stenosis (SGS) is another important and potentially life threatening manifestation....
High dose betahistine as effective as, but slower acting compared to intratympanic dexamethasone in intractable Meniere’s disease
The management of intractable Meniere’s disease poses a complex conundrum to otolaryngologists. The focus of treatment is decreasing the severity and frequency of vertigo and tinnitus whilst trying to preserve hearing. Betahistine has been used for many years in the...
Long-term results of incus vibroplasty in patients with moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss
The Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) middle ear implant is now a well-accepted and widely utilised treatment option for patients with sensorineural hearing loss unable to use standard hearing aids. However, as a relatively recent addition to the portfolio of implants available...
Three years later: report on the state of well-being of patients with chronic tinnitus who underwent modified tinnitus retraining therapy
This paper reports on 130 patients with tinnitus of at least three months duration who underwent ‘Modified Tinnitus Retraining Therapy’ (MTRT). MTRT combines psychological and physical therapies with standard tinnitus retraining therapy provided as a course of multi-disciplinary treatment, as...
Radiofrequency for tonsillectomy
This Turkish study compared the use of radiofrequency (RF) tonsillectomy to the more traditional cold steel dissection (CD) technique. The authors enrolled 114 patients undergoing tonsillectomy for chronic tonsillitis and tonsil hypertrophy (causing upper airway obstruction) over a 4-month period....
Outpatient injection laryngoplasty
The benefits of a local anaesthetic centred laryngoplasty service in the outpatient environment may interest surgeons and hospital managers alike. This case series looked at patients over a two-year period undergoing local anaesthetic injection laryngoplasty in outpatients. Patient-rated (Voice Performance...
Paediatric coblation intracapsular tonsillectomy
The ENT-UK tonsillectomy audit in 2005 created understandable caution in the promotion of Coblation techniques. This prospective study on 100 consecutive paediatric patients looked at outcomes following ‘cold’ radiofrequency ablation (Coblation) intracapsular tonsillectomy. This series shows the technique to be...
Cochlear implantation in immunosuppressed patients. Is it feasible?
The effectiveness of cochlear implantation has led to a relaxation of the candidate criteria. Patients who had been rejected in the past may now be accepted and their outcomes are encouraging. However, the acceptance of immunosuppressed patients as cochlear implant...
Neurosarcoidosis: another aetiologic factor for deafness and labyrinthitis ossificans
Very few studies describe deafness secondary to neurosarcoidosis as the latter is a rare inflammatory disorder of the nervous system usually associated with facial nerve and optic nerve disorders. This interesting case report describes a rare case of cochlear ossification...
Military acoustic trauma: incidence and management
This is a retrospective study on the effects of acute acoustic trauma on the hearing thresholds of 225 military personnel. The main symptom after acute acoustic trauma due to firearm use was tinnitus. The authors consider it as the main...
New aminoglycosides with reduced ototoxicity risk
Aminoglycoside antibiotics are widely used for infections affecting patients of all ages and at different sites, however they carry a risk of ototoxicity, nephrotoxicity and rarely peripheral neuropathy. Preventing ototoxicity is crucial to the maintenance of auditory function and quality...
Aided speech auditory brainstem response
Auditory brainstem response (ABR) is commonly used for hearing screening and is considered as one of the important means of objective audiometry. Speech ABR is a relatively new concept and is regarded as a marker of speech encoding at the...
