Search

Is there increased cardiovascular risk with macrolide antibiotics?

This month’s Ed’s Choice delightfully reviews the potential cardiovascular consequences of long-term macrolide use in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. This used to be one of my ‘go-to’ topics of conversation at home after a bad day at work, although...

Diagnosing persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD)

The authors, part of an influential committee of experts of the Bárány Society, proposed this consensus document after reviewing 30 years of research on phobic postural vertigo, space-motion discomfort, visual vertigo, and chronic subjective dizziness. They also reviewed interesting historical...

Effects of diet and exercise on tinnitus

Subjective tinnitus is the perception of sound without any external stimulus. There is no consensus on the aetiology of tinnitus. Obesity is one condition that has been associated with subjective tinnitus. The authors conducted a randomised controlled trial to assess...

Suspect the unsuspecting in thyroid cancer

This article reminds readers of how often invasive thyroid disease can appear, as the symptomatology is minimal. Noticeable airway symptoms appear after 50% of the airway is involved and surgeons can often fall in the unsuspecting trap of discovering locally...

Voice change after total thyroidectomy with intact laryngeal nerves – a common but temporary problem

It has been reported that up to 87% of patients have a degree of voice dysfunction after thyroidectomy, even when the laryngeal nerves are preserved. Postoperative inflammation, laryngeal oedema due to vascular congestion, direct damage to the cricothyroid muscles and...

Dental implant rehabilitation in fibula free flaps

The fibula free flap was first described in 1975 and since then has gone on to become the gold standard technique for reconstruction of longer spans in the mandible or maxilla. It is a reliable flap that affords good quality...

Rationales to explore the neck in penetrating injuries

Penetrating neck injuries in the UK are more commonly associated with low velocity objects such as knives and blades as opposed to gunshots. To explore the neck requires careful consideration of the need to do so in line with Burgess...

Anterolateral thigh cutaneous flap or radial forearm free flap for tongue defect reconstruction?

Free flap reconstruction is the gold standard in tongue reconstruction, aiming to restore function such as swallowing, cosmesis and speech. The anterolateral thigh cutaneous flap and the radial forearm free flap are among the most popular free flaps used for...

Radiation-induced dysphagia in head and neck cancer

This is a helpful reference paper that provides an overview of the biomolecular effects of radiation on the tissues of the upper aero-digestive tract. The authors explain that radiation injuries occur in a repetitive and accruing manner over the duration...

Vascular disease and sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Oussoren et al performed a systematic review and meta-analyses of current literature on the above topic: specifically, cardiovascular risk factors for developing idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (iSSNHL), the presence of white matter hyperintensities in patients with iSSNHL and the...

Managing high flow head and neck arteriovenous malformations (AVM)

Vascular malformations are lesions where the traditional network of capillaries linking arteries and veins are lacking. Patients usually present with bleeding, pain, disfigurement and tissue expansion and destruction. High flow lesions can be challenging to manage in the head and...