You searched for "vocal"
Do personal listening devices cause cochlear synaptopathy?
Cochlear synaptopathy is a condition in which noise interrupts the synaptic communication between sensory inner hair cells and low spontaneous rate cochlear nerve fibres. Since these nerve fibres are associated with signal coding in noisy backgrounds, their disruption leads to...
Algorithms to diagnose NIHL
Finding an efficient diagnostic tool for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) has been of research interest for a long time. There are several algorithms that compare expected age-related deterioration of hearing with the actual audiogram. This study aimed to compare a...
Gastrostomy tube dependence following TORS
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is now a well-established treatment modality for early (T1-T2) disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that one of its main benefits relative to conventional chemoradiotherapy is superior long-term functional outcome, especially with...
Predicting the nature of swallowing deficits caused by surgical resection of the tongue?
Patients treated surgically for cancer of the tongue are expected to have difficulty in eating, drinking and swallowing. The authors of this paper report on a cohort of 106 patients in their practice who had surgical resection as primary treatment....
Non-autologous graft material in paediatric tympanoplasty – is it as good as temporalis fascia and is it cost-effective?
This retrospective case review looks at the experience of a single unit using a variety of autologous (temporalis fascia, n=292) and non-autologous graft material, n=241 (alloderm (human dermis), biodesign (porcine submucosa, $170-$255) and tutoplast (human pericardium, $350). The average patient...
Does vestibular rehabilitation help patients with vestibular migraine? Is this also true if these patients have had a traumatic brain injury?
Vestibular migraine (VM) is a common diagnosis in ENT, and there is growing evidence that vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is an effective treatment, reducing self-perceived dizziness and improving gait. This is a retrospective review of the outcomes of 93 patients...
Asymmetrical hearing loss following prolonged occupational noise exposure
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the commonest occupational conditions and has been linked with increased risk of work-related injuries. Noise-induced hearing loss is traditionally associated with bilateral symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss unless they are exposed to unilateral noises,...
Corticosteroid prescribing in ENT - are we at risk of being sued?
Of medications leading to malpractice claims, corticosteroids comprise the third most common. They are used widely and have a significant side-effect profile: hypertension, lipodystrophy, diabetes, avascular necrosis of the femoral head, peptic ulceration and psychiatric reactions to name but a...
Cartilage interposition versus PORP ossiculoplasty
In this Egyptian study, the authors looked at the hearing outcomes in patients who underwent ossiculoplasty with cartilage interposition versus those with partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP). They looked at a total of 47 ears from 45 consecutive patients with...
Immunosuppresants and ototoxicity
There is a wide range of immunosuppressant drugs ranging from calcineurin inhibitors (e.g. cyclosporine), anti-folic agents (e.g. methotrexate) to anti-TNF and monoclonal antibodies, many of which could be ototoxic. The authors performed a systematic review assessing ototoxicity secondary to immunosuppressant...
Resolving dysphagia – can we distinguish mild dysphagia from no dysphagia?
Many patients with dysphagia following neurological events can and do experience a resolution of their swallowing difficulties, sometimes without any intervention. However, it is challenging for clinicians to distinguish mild dysphagia from no dysphagia. The question of where to draw...
