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Laryngeal papillomatosis

Laryngeal papillomatosis remains one of the most frustrating conditions seen by laryngologists. Sam Majumdar gives us an overview of the current science and clinical practice. Human papilloma virus is a small (> 8kb) double stranded DNA virus with approximately 200...

Quality of life after cochlear implantation in the older population

Cochlear implants (CI) have been increasingly adopted in older adults with severe to profound hearing loss as a result of the growing and ageing world population. There is much interest in the cost-effectiveness and quality of life in CI users....

Standardising videofluoroscopy assessment for bottle-fed babies

Swallowing problems in babies may occur for many reasons including complex medical problems, premature birth, and low birth-weight. Dysphagia causes several further morbidities such as poor nutrition and compromised respiration, often raising distress for both infants and their caregivers. Early...

Prophylactic gastrostomy tubes in advance of chemoradiotherapy for advanced head and neck malignancies – are they worthwhile?

It is well recognised that radical chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck cancers can significantly affect swallowing, especially if radiotherapy is delivered to the hypopharynx and/or both sides of the neck. As such, prophylactic gastrostomy tubes are often advocated in...

Development of an ENT undergraduate curriculum

With over a third of medical schools not including any clinical attachment in the subject, this is a laudable attempt to confront the deficiencies in undergraduate ENT teaching within the UK. The Delphi process is an established method of developing...

Leadership in academia

I went into medicine with the clichéd view of wanting to help people. I found that by doing surgery I could help a small number of people, albeit usually to a large effect. Then, I recognised that by engaging in...

Long-term effectiveness of sleep surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea

n this study, 39 patients from Turkey with obstructive sleep apnoea (of varying severity) underwent an expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty. This operation was devised by Prof Kenny Pang in Singapore and involves using the palatopharyngeus muscle and partly relocating it laterally...

Bespoke is best for children with communication difficulties

Children with communication difficulties can benefit from augmentative alternative communication (AAC) aids to support them in daily interaction, as well as in developing milestones. One of the most difficult aspects of choosing a device is not only meeting the child’s...

Spread the therapy thick and quick to make sure it works

Speech sound disorders, such as apraxia, can negatively impact a child’s wellbeing - both their social wellbeing and their academic achievement. Traditionally speech and language therapy has attempted to remediate these difficulties using auditory feedback. More recently, advances in technology...

Talking through technology – keeping up with the mainstream

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system development has often made early use of innovative technology. Touch screens have been a part of this technology for some time. In fact, touch screens were invented in 1965 but it wasn’t until the...

Posturography in persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD)

Those in neuro-otology practice will be familiar with PPPD now appearing in the forthcoming beta edition of ICD-11. This condition combines the symptoms of phobic postural vertigo and chronic subjective dizziness in which anxiety plays a part. The underlying hypothesis...

How effective is vestibular rehabilitation in bilateral vestibular failure?

In patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH), the outcome of vestibular rehabilitation is mixed. The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with outcome of vestibular rehabilitation (VR) in patients with BVH. A retrospective case notes review identified...