Using Google Trends to understand information-seeking behaviour about throat cancer.

Objective: Many people seek health information from internet sources. Understanding this behaviour can help inform healthcare delivery. This study aimed to review Google Trends as a method for investigating internet-based information-seeking behaviour related to throat cancer in terms of quantity, content and thematic analysis.

Reporting guidelines and journal quality in otolaryngology.

Objectives: Journals increasingly use reporting guidelines to standardise research papers, partly to improve quality. Although defining journal quality is difficult, various calculated metrics are used. This study investigates guideline adoption by otolaryngology journals and whether a relationship exists between this and journal quality.

Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Eustachian tube dysfunction is regarded as a 'black box' term, reflecting a spectrum of dysfunction. The key to its diagnosis and management is in identifying the aetiology and exact pathophysiology of the dysfunction.

Design: We present our retrospective 5-year results for the technique of transnasal endoscopic balloon dilatation of the cartilaginous part of the Eustachian tube, balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET).

Optical coherence tomography in the assessment of suspicious oral lesions: an immediate ex vivo study.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an evolving optical technology that is capable of delivering real-time, high-resolution signatures of tissue.

Objectives: The purpose of this immediate ex vivo prospective clinical study was: (1) to assess the sensitivity and specificity of OCT on biopsy material in identifying potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions, (2) to determine the inter-observer agreement in the analysis of specific image parameters, and (3) to find out the oral epithelial thickness for different pathology groups.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study involved 125 suspicious oral lesions from 125 patients.

Identification of novel cholesteatoma-related gene expression signatures using full-genome microarrays.

Background: Cholesteatoma is a gradually expanding destructive epithelial lesion within the middle ear. It can cause extensive local tissue destruction in the temporal bone and can initially lead to the development of conductive hearing loss via ossicular erosion. As the disease progresses, sensorineural hearing loss, vertigo or facial palsy may occur.

A patient with primary Burkitt's lymphoma of the postnasal space: case report.

Introduction: Burkitt's lymphoma is a highly aggressive lymphoma. The endemic form is present with Epstein - Barr virus. The most common sites are the mandible, facial bones, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, ovaries, breast and extra-nodal sites.

Oral sex, cancer and death: sexually transmitted cancers.

We briefly highlight the growing body of recent evidence linking unprotected oral sex with the development of some types of head and neck cancer in younger patients. These tumours appear to be increasing in incidence although the development of more sensitive methods of HPV detection may be a confounding factor.

A patient with ulcerated calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe in the pinna: case report.

Introduction: Although pilomatrixomas are frequently encountered by dermatologists and pathologists in the differential diagnosis of head and neck lesions, this is not usually the case among head and neck surgeons. A pilomatrixoma (calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe) is a benign tumour of the hair matrix cells. Histologically it is characterised by the presence of ghost cells, basophilic cells and foreign body cells.

Branchial cysts within the parotid salivary gland.

Cystic lesions within the parotid gland are uncommon and clinically they are frequently misdiagnosed as tumours. Many theories have been proposed as to their embryological origin. A 20-year retrospective review was undertaken of all pathological codes (SNOMED) of all of patients presenting with any parotid lesions requiring surgery.

The palliative role of PDT in recurrent advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: case series.

We report on the application of photodynamic therapy in the management of recurrent advanced carcinoma of the nasopharynx. A selected cohort of 7 patients, only suitable for palliative therapy, was offered this modality to assess the palliative role of PDT. All 7 patients had at least 2 previous recurrences, which were managed with surgery and chemoradiotherapy but ultimately failed to respond.

Elastic scattering spectroscopy in assessing skin lesions: an "in vivo" study.

Introduction: Elastic scattering spectroscopy (ESS) has been shown to be accurate in the identification of abnormalities of soft tissue. These include ischemia and inflammation, pre-cancer and cancer. The aim of this study was to compare findings of ESS with gold standard histopathology in patients with various skin lesions.

The use of specific anti-growth factor antibodies to abrogate the oncological consequences of transfusion in head & neck squamous cell carcinoma: an in vitro study.

Introduction: Perioperative blood transfusion is associated with reduced prognosis in a number of solid malignancies. We investigate its role in a head & neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) cell lines. Growth of these cell lines was analogous to endothelial growth.

Delay in pathological tissue processing time vs. mortality in oral cancer: short communication.

Several factors have been identified to affect morbidity and mortality in oral cancer patients. The time taken to process a resected cancer specimen in a patient presenting with primary or recurrent disease can be of interest as delay can affect earlier interventions post-surgery. We looked at this variable in a group of 168 consecutive oral cancer patients and assessed its relationship to mortality from the disease at 3 and 5 years.

cTNM vs. pTNM: the effect of not applying ultrasonography in the identification of cervical nodal disease.

Accurate clinical staging of oral squamous cell cancer can be quite difficult to achieve especially if nodal involvement is identified. Radiologically-assisted clinical staging is more accurate and informs the clinician of loco-regional and distant metastasis.In this study, we compared clinical TNM (cTNM) staging (not including ultrasonography) to pathological TNM (pTNM) staging in 245 patients presenting with carcinoma of the oral cavity and the oro-pharyngeal region.

The effect of tobacco and alcohol and their reduction/cessation on mortality in oral cancer patients: short communication.

Background: The use of tobacco is known to increase the incidence of developing oral cancer by 6 times, while the additive effect of drinking alcohol further increases the risk leading to higher rate of morbidity and mortality. In this short communication, we prospectively assessed the effect of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking in oral cancer patients on the overall mortality from the disease, as well as the effect of smoking and drinking reduction/cessation at time of diagnosis on mortality in the same group.

Materials And Methods: A cohort, involved 67 male patients who were diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma, was included in this study.

Treatment of Kimura disease with photodynamic therapy: a case study.

We report on the application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the management of Kimura disease. A 58-year-old Asian male was offered this modality to assess the possibility to control disease progression. The patient was managed with surgery and the disease recurred and caused facial disfigurement.

Vascular mimicry in cultured head and neck tumour cell lines.

Introduction: Vascuologenesis is the de novo establishment of blood vessels and vascular networks from mesoderm-derived endothelial cell precursors (angioblasts). Recently a novel mechanism, by which some genetically deregulated and aggressive tumour cells generate "micro-vascular" channels without the participation of endothelial cells and independent of angiogenesis, has been proposed. This has been termed "vasculogenic mimicry" and has implications beyond angiogenesis and adds another layer of complexity to the current concept for the generation of tumour micro-circulation.

How to do it: the difficult thyroid.

There is a paucity of publications detailing how to deal with the difficult thyroid cancer. When compared to other cancers, it is relatively rare with several histopathological subtypes which run differing clinical courses and respond to different therapies. It is a condition predominately treated by specifically trained General and now ENT surgeons who already have a thorough knowledge of vocal fold assessment and rehabilitation as well as emergency airways management both to avoid and treat common complications should they occur.

Photodynamic therapy vs. photochemical internalization: the surgical margin.

Controlling tumour margins in head and neck surgery is of the utmost importance in preventing loco-regional spread and distant metastasis, which will ultimately lead to a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality. We comment on the surgical margins in photodynamic therapy and photochemical internalization.

English law for the surgeon II: clinical negligence.

Traditionally, in the United Kingdom and Europe, the surgeon was generally not troubled by litigation from patients presenting as elective as well as emergency cases, but this aspect of custom has changed. Litigation by patients now significantly affects surgical practice and vicarious liability often affects hospitals. We discuss some fundamental legal definitions, a must to know for a surgeon, and highlight some interesting cases.