Search

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD), psychosomatic or not? The debate continues

PPPD continues to provoke debate since the diagnostic criteria emerged in 2017. This review covers two commentaries because they are best considered together: the first one, by HK and BS-U, concluded that PPPD is a psychosomatic disorder (in fact, ‘a...

Choosing our tools: assessing language in dementia

Language led dementia, also known as primary progressive aphasia (PPA), is an emerging area of practice in speech and language therapy. Given that the diagnosis centres around the key diagnostic feature of language, whereby language impairment is the most prominent...

Ultrasound-guided core biopsy of neck lumps as first-line investigative modality supersedes fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of neck lumps

Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (USFNAC) when applied as initial investigation often proves non-diagnostic, the incidence being as high as 50% in a recent audit. In this study, the authors applied ultrasound-guided core biopsy (USCB) to neck lumps over 1cm...

Vestibular Testing Interpretation: Drill and Practice

My overall impression of this book is that I liked it. While it reports to be designed for a trainee or junior practitioner, it may be useful for clinicians for whom vestibular conditions and testing is an area of heart-sink...

Spasmodic dysphonia – is greater awareness needed?

Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is a focal dystonia of the laryngeal musculature. Previously considered to be a rare disorder, it has more recently been suggested that SD is in fact not rare but is frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. This paper would...

Videofluoroscopic swallowing studies: balancing risks and benefits

Videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) are an important part of the diagnostic toolkit and arguably the current gold-standard for assessing swallow biomechanics and diagnosing dysphagia. However, the procedure does involve exposure to radiation, and any clinician requesting this should be able...

Diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea hypopneoa syndrome (OSAHS) without sleep studies

Polysomnography is considered the ‘gold standard’ in the diagnosis of sleep apnoea but it is expensive and difficult to perform in children. Diagnosis based on subjective judgement is often inaccurate. An accurate diagnostic scale based on clinical parameters could obviate...

A new criterion for diagnosing chronic tonsillitis?

It is essential to establish the diagnosis of recurrent tonsillitis in patients undergoing tonsillectomy. This is based mainly on history which itself can be inaccurate and is supported by clinical findings which are not truly specific. There seems to be...