Journal Reviews
Grading dysphagia as a toxicity in treating head and neck cancer
Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) is a system used by clinicians to grade the toxicity of oncology treatments in a standardised manner. Dysphagia is perhaps the most common long-term toxicity of head and neck cancer treatment. Currently, a...
Prominauris: Which surgical technique to use?
Otoplasty accounted for 3.2% of all plastic surgical interventions, and 2.6% worldwide in 2015. Patient satisfaction ranges above 95% for prominent ear correction despite the myriad of available techniques in the literature associated with highly variable outcomes. The authors split...
Measuring the ‘impact’ of preoperative immunonutrition
Using preoperative nutritional supplements as part of ‘enhanced recovery’ in surgical patients is not a new concept. This interesting paper looks at the latest development in optimising patients undergoing head and neck oncological surgery. Immunonutrition (Nestle’s ‘Oral Impact’ in this...
Applying ‘Sal classification’ to parotid cytology to replicate the success of the Thy classification system
The usefulness of the Thy classification in thyroid gland disease has led to attempts to generate a similar cytology classification for parotid lesions. However, the accuracy of fine-needle aspiration cytology in salivary gland disease is more variable because of the...
Tinnitus association with psychiatric and personality disorders
Tinnitus attracts large interest among researchers all over the world due to its negative psychological side-effects. This study aimed at investigating lifetime and current prevalence of psychiatric and personality disorders in patients with long-lasting and distressing tinnitus. Participants included 49...
CBT for tinnitus and hyperacusis
Finding an efficient treatment for tinnitus attracts the interest of researchers worldwide. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the widely researched methods used in tinnitus management. The aim of this study was to investigate what proportion of patients complete...
Tranexamic acid and blood loss in bimaxillary surgery
This is a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial from Thailand to clarify the most effective dose of Tranexamic acid in reducing blood loss during a bimaxillary osteotomy. They confirmed that the dose of 10mg per kg is the most efficacious and...
Importance of the time interval between surgery and postoperative radiation therapy in head and neck cancer
The ideal time to start postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) in head and neck cancer patients has been an issue of debate. In the USA, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends initiating radiotherapy within six weeks from surgery. The six-week...
Total lower lip reconstruction: a review
Total or near total defects of the lower lip may result from trauma, cancer ablation or congenital causes. Defects usually involve the full thickness and include skin, muscle and mucosa. There are a number of techniques for the one stage...
Multisystem pathology in refractory otitis media with effusion
Recurrent middle ear effusion is a common problem and so is rhinosinusitis with polyposis. It is not often thought that the problem could be linked to multisystem pathology, such as eosinophilic granulomatous with polyposis. Therefore, repeated grommet insertions and surgical...
BPPV and bone mineral density
Over the years, attempts have been made to identify modifiable risk factors for BPPV. Due to the chemical composition of otoconia, the role of calcium metabolism and its associated conditions have been studied with no firm conclusions. The authors studied...
Does pre-op intratympanic gentamicin improve balance control after vestibular schwannoma surgery?
This retrospective study was based on data from 44 patients selected from a cohort of 153 who had undergone surgical resection of vestibular schwannoma over a 10-year period. The aim was to evaluate the dynamics of the postural control system...
