Experience of the 'Ear Glove' in children with microtia.

Introduction: Microtia is a congenital condition which can be found in isolation or as part of a syndrome. The key factors to consider when treating a child with microtia are hearing, speech and language development, cosmesis, and the psychological impact on the patient as well as the family. As children age and become more self-aware, the anxiety about transition from primary to secondary school can often be a trigger for carers and child to want a cosmetic solution at a younger age.

Fifteen-minute consultation: A structured approach to the assessment of a child with earache.

Earache, or otalgia, in children is common. Diagnosis can be challenging due to the range of causes. Assessment involves a thorough history and examination.

Improving our departmental reporting of thyroid cytology specimens against national guidelines: A two-cycle retrospective audit.

Introduction: In the UK, guidelines from the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) facilitate consistent and reproducible reporting and classification of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) thyroid specimens. The aim was to audit our department against RCPath guidelines to refine and improve our reporting process.

Methods: Two-cycle retrospective observational audit of all patients undergoing thyroid FNAC over a 2-year period (1 year for each cycle).

Iatrogenic oesophageal perforation during placement of an endoscopic vacuum therapy device.

Endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) is increasingly being used as a means of managing perforations or anastomotic leaks of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Published outcomes are favourable, with few mentions of complications or morbidity. We present a case in which the management of a gastric perforation with endoscopic vacuum therapy was complicated by cervical oesophageal perforation.

New spectral thresholds improve the utility of the electroencephalogram for the diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy.

Objective: The utility of the electroencephalogram (EEG) for the diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy, using conventional spectral thresholds, is open to question. The aim of this study was to optimise its diagnostic performance by defining new spectral thresholds.

Methods: EEGs were recorded in 69 healthy controls and 113 patients with cirrhosis whose neuropsychiatric status was classified using clinical and psychometric criteria.

Electroencephalogram variability in patients with cirrhosis associates with the presence and severity of hepatic encephalopathy.

Background & Aims: The outputs of physiological systems fluctuate in a complex manner even under resting conditions. Decreased variability or increased regularity of these outputs is documented in several disease states. Changes are observed in the spatial and temporal configuration of the electroencephalogram (EEG) in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE), but there is no information on the variability of the EEG signal in this condition.