The Journal of laryngology and otology
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We describe three homosexual men presenting to the ear, nose and throat clinic with severe tonsillitis. All were subsequently diagnosed with secondary syphilis of the tonsil. Syphilis should be considered as a diagnosis in high risk patients presenting with tonsillar lesions, even in the absence of other classical features of the disease.
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Keloid scarring is a benign hyperproliferation of fibrous tissue occurring at a wound healing site. Keloid formation related to the ear is generally the result of ear-piercing, mainly causing cosmetic disfigurement. ⋯ This lesion prevented the cavity from self-cleaning and obstructed microscopic evaluation of the cavity. Treatment was successfully performed by surgical excision, with closure of the defect using supra-keloid skin flaps, followed by serial steroid injection therapy.
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Recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis is a much-dreaded complication of thyroid surgery. ⋯ Recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring is a feasible and reliable technique. It can be used to avoid bilateral nerve injury and to increase the surgeon's confidence but not to replace a systematic nerve identification and a careful dissection.
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The implementation of the European working time directive has led to an increase in cross-speciality out-of-hours cover. This survey illustrates ENT out-of-hours cover arrangements and assesses the implications for senior house officers (SHOs) responsible for managing emergencies. ⋯ The current junior on-call structure for ENT has implications for patient management.
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Clinical Trial
Treatment of tinnitus with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation improves patients' quality of life.
Tinnitus can adversely affect patients' quality of life. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may be effective in the management of tinnitus. No study has investigated the efficacy of TENS for the management of tinnitus by means of quality of life measures. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of TENS for the management of tinnitus symptoms by using the visual analogue scale (VAS), tinnitus handicap inventory test, Nottingham health profile (NHP) and short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaires. ⋯ Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a useful method to improve the quality of life of patients with tinnitus.