Search

Management of necrotising otitis externa

Although uncommon, necrotising (previously malignant) otitis externa (nOE) can be very aggressive, particularly if not managed appropriately. In this study the authors perform a retrospective review of 25 patients admitted with nOE over a four year period at a tertiary...

Fungal rhinosinusitis

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) has been defined by the following characteristics: presence of nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, decreased sense of smell or facial pressure for 12 weeks, mucin within the sinus cavity containing fungal hyphae and degranulating eosinophils, endoscopic evidence...

Semicircular canal dehiscence and cochlear implantation

Semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) is thought to occur in 3% of the population, it is mostly asymptomatic, but patients may present with sound-induced vestibular symptoms, low-frequency conductive hearing loss, autophony, hyperacusis and aural fulness. With the increasing utilisation of cochlear...

Diagnostic criteria for superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome

The latest Bárány Society’s consensus document on diagnostic criteria for vestibular disorders is one for superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS). There are three major categories: (A) Symptoms consistent with a third mobile labyrinthine window; (B) Physiologic tests – clinical...

Role of intratympanic corticosteroid for treatment of Bell’s palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Acute peripheral facial palsy occurs annually in 30 in 1,000,000 individuals in the general population. Bell’s palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome account for about 70% of cases of peripheral facial palsy. They are believed to be caused by viral reactivation...

Loss of smell in the age of COVID-19

Loss of smell (LOS) is a debilitating symptom with increasing interest for the medical community due to its high prevalence in COVID-19. In the present paper, a team of 15 experts provide recommendations for the investigation and management of patients...

The electromagnetic larynx

Current treatment options for a bilateral vocal cord palsy (tracheostomy, posterior cordotomy, arytenoidectomy) are suboptimal, with a focus primarily on a static means of airway restoration at the expense of voice production and potentially swallow safety. This paper reports on...

Vestibular migraine or BPPV?

There are close similarities between benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and vestibular migraine (VM) as both can be presented by positional nystagmus. Though BPPV remains the commonest cause of pure positional vertigo, VM can mimic this condition. This study is...

Preoperative prediction of pain outcomes in patients with trigeminal neuralgia

The authors of this retrospective study have developed a preoperative trigeminal neuralgia (TN) grading system for the preoperative prediction of long-term pain relief after microvascular decompression (MVD). Patients who had become refractory to or developed toxicity to carbamazepine or oxycarbamazepine...

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...

Is Gamma Knife Surgery effective for intracanalicular vestibular schwannomas?

Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are rare, occurring in approximately five per 100,000 adults a year. In circa 8% of cases, the VS is contained within the internal auditory canal, i.e. intracanalicular (iVS). Although radiosurgery is a recognised treatment modality for VSs,...