Journal Reviews archive for November 2014
Fungal rhinosinusitis
Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) has been defined by the following characteristics: presence of nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, decreased sense of smell or facial pressure for 12 weeks, mucin within the sinus cavity containing fungal hyphae and degranulating eosinophils, endoscopic evidence...
Tracheostomy safety project
Tracheostomy care is evolving, with the majority of procedures now performed percutaneously to facilitate weaning from mechanical ventilation in the critically ill. Traditional surgical indications remain, but surgical tracheostomies are increasingly performed in more complex patients. This brings unique challenges...
The anatomy and actual number of branches of the sphenopalatine artery: surgical implications
Endoscopic sphenopalatine artery ligation or cauterisation is nowadays the main treatment for epistaxis unresponsive to medical therapy. However, on review of the literature, there appears to be confusion relating to the anatomical nomenclature of the sphenopalatine artery branches and more...
Swallowing outcomes following partial laryngectomy: objective assessment and pre-operative predictive factors
Partial laryngectomy constitutes one of the treatments for early stage glottic carcinoma (i.e. T1N0 and T2N0) in specialised centres. Over the years, several partial laryngectomy and reconstruction techniques have been described in the literature. The choice of technique depends on...
CIs and the elderly
Although cochlear implantation (CI) is thought to be a predominantly paediatric procedure, more and more adults are candidates for cochlear implants. This retrospective study was performed on 80 adults aged above 50 who were implanted for at least nine months....
The unknown primary again
In this retrospective study of 35 patients, the authors followed a systematic protocol for the detection and management of malignant cervical lymph nodes without an apparent primary lesion. Although their one, three and five year survival results are consistent with...
One stage nasal reconstruction with local flaps
This is an excellent and authoritative review of an often difficult and controversial (as there are so many options or so few) clinical subject. Better education and earlier diagnosis of skin tumours allows defects with limited size and depth to...
Freestyle facial artery perforator flaps for nasal reconstruction
This is an update from the authors that originally described the freestyle facial artery perforator flap for one stage nasal reconstruction in 2009. They now update with their 10-year experience of freestyle facial artery perforator flaps, accumulating a series of...
Neck Rejuvenation
The May issue of this popular facial plastic journal is dedicated to detailed discussion of surgical and non-surgical procedures for rejuvenation of the neck. Following descriptions of relevant neck and face anatomy, techniques are discussed for neck and face rejuvenation....
The impact of rhino-sinusitis treatment on olfaction
This study included 28 adults prospectively enrolled between March 2011 and May 2013 into a non-randomised, multi-institutional cohort. Adults electing endoscopic sinus surgery experienced gains in olfaction comparable to adults electing continued medical management. The evidence in this study comparing...
Forward-going sound pressure wave with hearing thresholds
This article discusses an important and well-known point regarding the differences between coupler sound pressure measurements, used to calibrate earphones, and actual pressures delivered to the ear due to individual variances across patients. The study purports to suggest a new...
Inflammation associated with presbyacusis
Inflammaging and presbyacusis is a topic that few audiologists consider in their daily clinical routine due to lack of training in this area. Inflammaging is a chronic state of inflammation present throughout the body. The classic 1965 work by Rosen...