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Invasive differentiated thyroid cancer

The majority of patients presenting with differentiated thyroid cancer have early small disease with excellent long-term outcomes. However, aerodigestive tract invasion is reported in around 10% of case series and is a poor prognostic factor. This article has been authored...

CAD/CAM assisted mandibular reconstruction or freestyle?

The gold standard for the reconstruction of the mandible is a free bone flap and the fibula is commonly used. The fibula is a straight bone and presents considerations and difficulties in the formation of a U-shaped neo-mandible. Computer aided...

Carotid paragangliomas and their management

Paragangliomas in the head and neck are most frequently associated with the carotid artery, classically at its bifurcation and splaying the internal and external vessels. Despite their commonality at this site, large studies of these rare tumours are still lacking...

Classification and assessment of midfacial fractures; no more Le Fort facial fractures

There is some evidence that severe or complex midfacial or orbital fractures have declined over the last decade. Interestingly there is also evidence of an increase in road traffic accidents but a decrease in facial injuries. This is possibly attributed...

Best timing for post-treatment PET-CT scans in head and neck cancer

Unfortunately we know that the recurrence rate for head and neck cancer can be high, up to 30-50% in some series. These recurrences tend to occur within the first two years following treatment. Optimal surveillance strategies to detect recurrences early...

Association between depression and survival in patients with head and neck cancer

Approximately 40% of patients develop major depressive disorder (MDD) during diagnosis and treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC). Depressive symptoms in these patients have a significant effect on their rehabilitation and survival. Given the small number of studies in...

Radiosurgery for large vestibular schwannomas

The authors conducted a retrospective study of patients with large Koos grade 4 vestibular schwannomas undergoing gamma knife radiosurgery. A total of 68 patients with tumour size greater than 4 cm3 with baseline serviceable 60% hearing who received 12 Gray...

Stimulation for a good night’s sleep

This article was an interesting read. It is an update from the authors’ original paper printed in the NEJM in 2014 regarding the results of an implantable pulse generator (IPG) for stimulating the hypoglossal nerve in response to respiration. This...

Carotid artery involvement with head and neck metastases

This is a retrospective review of 27 patients radiologically diagnosed as having metastases involving the common or internal carotid arteries. All patients underwent a salvage neck dissection with surgical carotid peeling. Thirteen of the 27 achieved loco-regional control, five developed...

Concussion and isolated mandible fractures – are we asking the right questions?

Concussion and isolated mandible fractures – are we asking the right questions? The mandible is one of the most commonly fractured craniofacial bones. A significant force is required to bring this about. Hence the authors hypothesised that concussion after a...

Does albumin have an effect on nasal polyposis?

Sometimes a short paper catches your eye! What causes chronic rhinosinusitis? What causes polyps? Fungi? Biofilms? Allergy? Maybe the lack of albumin? The two authors of this short paper present data that may suggest that the lack of albumin can...