Journal Reviews archive for 2015
Approaching a ranula
The March issue of Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology is the first of two concentrating on oral surgery within the paediatric setting. It sets the scene with a paper on the anatomy of the paediatric oral cavity and the associated surgical...
Surgery for drooling
This paper looks at the surgical options for sialorrhoea once the first two options of behavioural and physiotherapy interventions and pharmacotherapy have been exhausted. The social impact of sialorrhoea on patients and their families is significant and often lifelong therefore...
Is submandibular gland transfer effective in prevention of post irradiation xerostomia in head and neck cancer patients?
Post irradiation xerostomia is a common side effect of irradiation to the head and neck region, with up to 90% of patients reporting some symptoms. Submandibular glands account for 70% of resting saliva production. Surgically transferring the submandibular gland to...
Paediatric salivary gland tumours
This is a review article of a rare group of neoplasms that frequently present as painless preauricular mass in older children. There is a wide differential including first branchial arch abnormalities, inflammatory and granulomatous processes. Those masses that are painless,...
When ears go bad
Whilst rare, squamous cell carcinoma is the commonest primary malignancy of the temporal bone and is discussed in this review article. This tumour frequently presents with otalgia, ottorhoea and hearing loss; less commonly, with facial palsy or parotid mass. Investigations...
Coblation versus microdebrider submucosal inferior turbinoplasty
This prospective randomised study from Riyadh compares submucosal coblation and submucosal microdebrider inferior turbinate reduction. Seventy patients were recruited who had failed medical treatment and were undergoing isolated inferior turbinate surgery. Outcome measures included the Friedman score and VAS for...
Clonidine based vs Remifentanil based hypotensive anaesthesia in FESS
A study investigating the use of clonidine preoperatively in FESS surgery. A double blinded trial of 47 patients in Barcelona randomised into receiving clonidine (20 minutes preoperatively) versus Remifentanil (continuous infusion). Propofol and fentanyl were used for induction and then...
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....
