A narrative review of the management of pars flaccida tympanic membrane retractions without cholesteatoma.

Objective: Review the effectiveness of surgical and non-surgical management strategies for isolated pars flaccida and combined pars tensa and flaccida tympanic membrane retractions in preventing progression or recurrence, improving hearing and preventing development of cholesteatoma.

Design: Narrative review.

Setting: ENT and otology services worldwide.

Indeterminate thyroid nodules (Thy3): malignancy rate and characteristics in a study of 118 patients.

Introduction: Thyroid nodules are common, and the combined use of ultrasound and fine needle aspiration cytology provides useful information on their malignancy risk. The Thy reporting system is widely used in the United Kingdom, with malignancy rates for Thy3 cytology being quoted between 5% and 30%. This study aims to establish the risk of thyroid cancer in operated patients with Thy3 cytology and correlate it with patient demographics and nodule size.

General anaesthetic vs local anaesthetic myringoplasties: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: To assess all available data and determine the success rates and tolerability of local anaesthetic myringoplasty in comparison with those undertaken under general anaesthetic myringoplasty.

Materials And Methods: The study was designed following a PRISMA-P protocol and registered with the PROSPERO database. MEDLINE, Cochrane Library (CDSR/Central), EMBASE and CINHAL-were directly searched for studies, which met the inclusion criteria.

Aetiology and management options for secondary referred otalgia: a systematic review and meta-analyses.

Objectives Of Review: To review the literature for the evidence base for the aetiology and management of referred otalgia, looking particularly at non-malignant, neuralgic, structural and functional issues.

Type Of Review: Systematic review.

Search Strategy: A systematic literature search was undertaken from the databases of EMBASE, CINAHL, MEDLINE®, BNI, and Cochrane Library according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Prevalence of occult nodal metastases in squamous cell carcinoma of the temporal bone: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Primary: To determine the rate of occult cervical metastases in primary temporal bone squamous cell carcinomas (TBSSC). Secondary: to perform a subgroup meta-analysis of the risk of occult metastases based on the clinical stage of the tumour and its risk based on corresponding levels of the neck.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of papers searched through Medline, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science up to November 2021 to determine the pooled rate of occult lymph node/parotid metastases.

Elective ENT surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: Experience from a single UK centre.

Aim: To analyse the outcomes of patients who underwent elective ENT surgery during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in a COVID free site.

Methods: This is a retrospective single centre case series of all patients undergoing elective ENT surgery over a 16-week period between 1 April and 22 July 2020.

Results: No patients, out of our cohort of 85, developed postoperative COVID-19 symptoms or complications of COVID-19.

Cochlear Implantation in Elderly Patients: Survival Duration, Hearing Outcomes, Complication Rates, and Cost Utility.

Introduction: The prevalence of hearing loss and its consequences is increasing as the elderly population grows. As the guidelines for cochlear implantation (CI) expand, the number of elderly CI recipients is also increasing. We report complication rates, survival duration, and audiological outcomes for CI recipients aged 80 years and over and discuss the cost utility of CI in this age group.

The importance of early detection of ENT symptoms in mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

Objectives: Patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may present with a wide range of symptoms. In this paper, a detailed characterisation of mild-to-moderate ear, nose nd throat (ENT) symptoms is presented with the aim of recognising the disease early to help reduce further spread and progression.

Methods: A total of 230 cases testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 134 negative controls were recruited for a case-control analysis.

A systematic review of biomechanical risk factors for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in surgeons of the head and neck.

Background: Previous studies have shown high rates (47-72%) of self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) in surgeons of the head and neck. Physical requirements in the workplace, individual factors (e.g.

Acute otitis externa: Consensus definition, diagnostic criteria and core outcome set development.

Objective: Evidence for the management of acute otitis externa (AOE) is limited, with unclear diagnostic criteria and variably reported outcome measures that may not reflect key stakeholder priorities. We aimed to develop 1) a definition, 2) diagnostic criteria and 3) a core outcome set (COS) for AOE.

Study Design: COS development according to Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) methodology and parallel consensus selection of diagnostic criteria/definition.

A national survey of workplace-related musculoskeletal disorder and ergonomic practices amongst Irish otolaryngologists.

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WRMD) is a rising concern for surgeons, particularly those involved in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Severe WRMD can adversely affect surgeon's health and foreshorten their careers if not appropriately managed.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of WRMD among Irish otolaryngologists and determine their knowledge of the best ergonomic principles.

Using a 4K three-dimensional exoscope system (Vitom 3D) for mastoid surgery during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Objective: Microscopic surgery is currently considered the 'gold standard' for middle-ear, mastoid and lateral skull base surgery. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has made microscopic surgery more challenging to perform. This work aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of the Vitom 3D system, which integrates a high-definition (4K) view and three-dimensional technology for ear surgery, within the context of the pandemic.

VITOM 4K 3D Exoscope: A Preliminary Experience in Thyroid Surgery.

Since its introduction in 2008, the Karl Storz 4K 3D VITOM® exoscope (Karl Storz SE & Co. KG, Tuttlingen, Germany) has been successfully used in various surgical disciplines. This paper describes our department's experience using this technology and its use in the first total thyroidectomy case.

Cochlear Implant Infections and Outcomes: Experience From a Single Large Center.

Objective: To review our experience with cochlear implant infections over the past 5 years, the management strategy and to identify predictive factors that led to explantation.

Study Design: Retrospective record-base case series of cochlear implant infections.

Setting: Tertiary otology and implant center.

Extended role of transnasal oesophagoscopy: a review of the literature.

Background: Advances in endoscopic technology have allowed transnasal oesophagoscopy to be used for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Method: A review of the literature was carried out to look into the extended role of transnasal oesophagoscopy within otolaryngology, using the Embase, Cinahl and Medline databases.

Results: There were 16 studies showing that transnasal oesophagoscopy is safe and cost effective and can be used for removal of foreign bodies, tracheoesophageal puncture, laser laryngeal surgery and balloon dilatation.

Pain After Cochlear Implantation Without Signs of Inflammation: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: This review summarizes current evidence on causes and management strategies for delayed pain post-cochlear implantation (CI) surgery, without clinical evidence of inflammation or infection.

Methods: The systematic review was undertaken in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2015 guidelines. A literature search was undertaken, with inclusion of patients who underwent CI and presented with delayed pain (>3 months post-operatively) around their device site without an identifiable cause.

Outcome and follow-up of patients requiring emergency oesophagoscopy for food bolus obstruction over a 5-year period.

Introduction: OFBO is a common occurrence in the emergency setting. Endoscopic removal via rigid or flexible oesophagoscopy is only performed following failure to pass the obstruction after a period of observation and medical management. Despite recommendations from the ESGE, there is currently a lack of high-quality evidence to support the diagnostic work-up of these patients.

A systematic review on prevention and management of wound infections from cochlear implantation.

Objective Of Review: Surgical site infections are a recognised complication of cochlear implant (CI) surgery with significant morbidity. Our aim was to search for the optimum prevention and management strategy to deal with this issue.

Type Of Review: Systematic review.

Hearing rehabilitation outcomes in cochlear implant recipients with vestibular schwannoma in observation or radiotherapy groups: A systematic review.

Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are rare benign tumours of the vestibular nerve that cause hearing loss. Management strategies include watchful waiting, radiotherapy or surgical resection. Historically, the presence of retrocochlear disease has been considered to be a contra-indication to cochlear implantation (CI).

Rare case of a 3-year-old with skull base osteomyelitis: lessons to be learnt.

Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) is a serious and rare condition most commonly seen in elderly diabetic or immunocompromised patients as a complication of otitis externa. We present the case of a previously healthy 3-year-old girl who presented to the paediatric emergency department with vomiting, fever, lethargy, headache and left-sided facial nerve palsy. The initial CT head revealed left-sided otitis media with otomastoiditis and she was managed with intravenous antibiotics and myringotomy with grommet insertion with initial improvement.