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Acute ENT activity in a teaching hospital

This Belgian prospective audit attempted to provide justification for the provision of a 24-hour emergency service at a large 1038-bed teaching hospital (with 31 ENT consultants). The authors looked at a one-month period during which 190 patients were admitted. They...

Chronic rhinitis endotypes

Chronic rhinitis (CR) is common with up to 30% of the population affected, with a significant impact on quality of life. CR includes several phenotypes with different pathogenesis including allergy, autoimmune, age, occupation, pregnancy, neurogenic and drugs. Such variation means...

Round window niche drilling with intratympanic for ISSHL. A new option for salvage?

This paper from China compares the technique of widening the round window via a posterior tympanotomy approach and steroid-soaked gelatin sponge with intratympanic steroids alone for salvage therapy in severe idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss. Salvage therapy was defined as patients...

Correlation between middle ear and mastoid volumes with results of type 1 paediatric tympanoplasty

This is a retrospective study of 45 paediatric patients, aged between eight and 18 years, who underwent Type 1 cartilage graft tympanoplasty using conchal cartilage. Middle ear and mastoid volumes of these children were correlated with anatomical and functional outcomes...

Paper patching for aural fullness

This Belgian prospective study reported on the effect of paper patching on aural fullness of unknown aetiology. It looked at 22 patients who complained of aural fullness without any middle ear pathology. The patients were divided into a treatment group...

Vestibular function preservation after minimally invasive paediatric cochlear implantation

This retrospective study analysed results in 24 paediatric patients with low-frequency residual hearing before and after minimally invasive cochlear implantation. The authors define minimally invasive cochlear implantation as a round window insertion of flexible Nucleus CI422, Nucleus CI522, MedEl Flex...

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...

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...

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...

Delayed facial palsy post vestibular schwannoma resection

This article presents findings of a retrospective evaluation of 489 patients who underwent vestibular schwannoma surgery and developed delayed facial palsy. The authors define delayed facial palsy as deterioration of at least two HB grades between postoperative days five and...

Long-term outcomes after (adeno) tonsillectomy

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used increasingly to fill an ‘evidence gap’ where healthcare rationing threatens particular treatments. Tonsillectomy is a long-established and effective treatment for recurrent tonsillitis and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in children. The T-14 outcome measure examines...