Journal Reviews
Postconcussion syndrome: weighing up the options on balance
Balance problems, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound, are a few of the symptoms which may be associated with post concussion syndrome (PCS), concussion symptoms which persist longer than 21 days. This article presents a physical...
European position paper on drug induced sedation endoscopy (DISE)
DISE is a controversial topic but a practice that is largely accepted in the UK. There has been much variation about the technique, and how to interpret the results. For this reason, a collection of European DISE bigwigs aimed for...
Treatments for hyperacusis
Centred on a patient’s experience, this article provides a brief summary of the condition of hyperacusis as an introduction to the treatments that are currently available. It is enhanced by the fact that the individual mentioned is a musician by...
Viral induced hearing loss
Viruses are a common cause of hearing loss both in children and adults. This article provides a good review of the viral causes of hearing loss and can be regarded as an essential read. The authors divide the viruses into...
CT and intraoperative nerve monitoring to identify non-recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery
A non-recurrent laryngeal nerve (NRLN) is a rare (incidence 0.3% to 1.3%) anatomical variant that results in a higher rate of vocal cord palsy following thyroid surgery. This team from China examined the utility of preoperative CT and intraoperative nerve...
Vascularised tissue in salvage total laryngectomy
Chemoradiation (CRT) has become the mainstay for locally advanced laryngeal cancer since the RTOG 91-11 trial. Unfortunately there is still a substantial demand for salvage laryngectomies, which have a higher complication rate, the most notable being pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF). Several...
Head injury and prolonged bed rest, but not inner ear disease, predict poorer outcome after Epley manoeuvre in posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertgo (P-BPPV)
This Japanese study included 197 patients with P-BPPV treated over a two and a half year period. The vast majority had idiopathic BPPV (n=157). The remaining 40 had secondary BPPV, eight following head trauma, 14 due to prolonged bed rest...
Is there a cause-and-effect relationship between allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis?
This review examines the possible causative relationship between allergic rhinitis (AR) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) that has long been proposed. Many observational and experimental studies exist, however no clear and definitive connection has been established. This is mainly due to...
Evidence and nasal polyp treatments
The change in the routine management of nasal polyps in the past 2-3 decades has been fascinating and this review from Charleston covers the topics of systemic treatment, local treatment, perioperative treatment and immunotherapy and touches on the lower airway...
Improving smell outcomes after sinus surgery: impregnated dressings?
There is much we can do to improve the airway of patients with chronic sinus disease, especially those with polyps. However, the olfactory outcomes are usually disappointing and patients miss this important sensory modality, which has an effect on their...
What do we put in our nasal douches? Anything?
The rise of the popularity of saline nasal douches, with several commercial preparations available, may be a rediscovery of an age-old tradition, but it has been shown to benefit patients. The question then arises as to whether this can be...
Consequences of tonsillectomy rationing?
This article examines Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics data to investigate the change in rates of tonsillectomy and admissions for tonsillitis and its complications, over a 20-year period. Between 1991 and 2011, 44% fewer tonsillectomies were performed....
