Timing and volume of information produced for the Otolaryngologist during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: A review of the volume of online literature.

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China and has been declared a pandemic in March 2020. COVID-19 has caused unprecedented and lasting biopsychosocial effects worldwide. All healthcare professionals have faced life-threatening risks by attending their daily jobs.

Superglue ear: our experience and a review of the literature.

Cyanoacrylate glue (Superglue) has the ability to bond a variety of surfaces firmly within seconds of use. Its application into the external ear canal (EAC) is a challenging problem for clinicians. We present 3 case reports of patients who presented at our hospital with superglue in their EACs: 1 was accidental, 1 was iatrogenic, and 1 was intentional.

Tracheal ring fracture and early tracheomalacia following percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy.

Background: Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) is increasingly popular within intensive care units for patients who need prolonged ventilatory support. Significant complications are rare.

Case Presentation: Our patient suffered tracheal ring fracture and early tracheomalacia following this procedure.

Laryngeal oedema caused by accidental ingestion of Oil of Wintergreen.

Oil of Wintergreen (methyl salicylate) is a common ingredient for liniments, ointments and essential oils used in self-treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Its pleasant smell also encourages its use to flavour confectionery. The toxic potential of this preparation is not always fully appreciated by the general public and physicians.

Improving the endoscopic view of the hypopharynx with anterior neck traction during the trumpet manoeuvre.

The postcricoid subsite is difficult to visualize on flexible laryngopharyngoscopy. The view can be improved with either auto-insufflation manoeuvres or anterior neck skin traction. In this study, the view of the hypopharynx was graded whilst anterior neck skin traction was applied during the trumpet manoeuvre; the latter involves the patient blowing on his finger as if blowing up a balloon.

Low adrenal androgen output in patients with abnormal laryngeal epithelium.

We present 16 new patients who had abnormal vocal cord biopsies. Each had a serum sex hormone profile performed on the morning of the procedure. The striking abnormality was that 12 (75%) had low dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), the main adrenal androgen, and four of these had prepubertal levels.

Diet-modified sex hormone metabolism: is this the way forward in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and squamous carcinoma prophylaxis?

We report two cases of recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis in women who subsequently developed squamous cell carcinoma as they approached the climacteric. The role of human papilloma virus (HPV) and oestrogen metabolism is outlined. The use of indoles from cruciferous vegetables is also discussed.

Laryngeal papillomatosis with subsequent development of papillomata in the paranasal sinuses--is it seeding by intubation?

Concern has been expressed regarding the seeding of viral DNA, in laryngeal papillomatosis, to other sites in the respiratory tract during treatment. Controversy exists regarding the concept of seeding by the laser plume. However, instrumentation and anaesthetic intubation are also strongly implicated in seeding DNA to the proximal respiratory tract.

Plasma amylase estimation in recurrent abdominal pain in children.

In a prospective study of 50 children who were admitted on more than one occasion with undiagnosed abdominal pain, the serum amylase was found to be normal in every case. One case of acute pancreatitis was diagnosed in over 8000 admissions. Serum amylase estimation did not contribute to the management of children with recurrent abdominal pain, and acute pancreatitis is so rare that routine amylase estimations cannot be recommended in paediatric surgical practice.