The use of nasal creams and ointments in the conservative management of anterior epistaxis is well documented and supported. This study set out to obtain a national opinion, in order to establish current practice.

A survey of all Scotland-based otolaryngology clinicians was conducted. Participants were asked which topical treatment they used in their practice, how often and for how long they advocated its use, and how they advised their patients to apply it.

The overall response rate was 91 per cent. We discuss and compare the varying responses for the questions posed, and discuss the possible reasons for these in greater detail.

This study demonstrates a high degree of variation in this practice, arising from a lack of concrete evidence and influenced by anecdotal experience and personal preferences. Definitive comparative studies are required if a ‘gold standard’ topical approach for the management of anterior epistaxis is to emerge.

Asthma treatment has the potential to affect patients' voices. We undertook detailed characterisation of voice morbidity in patients attending a problem asthma clinic, and we determined how patients' perceptions related to objective assessment by an experienced observer.

Forty-three patients took part in the study. Subjects completed the self-administered voice symptom score (VoiSS) questionnaire and underwent digital voice recording. These voice recordings were scored using the grade–roughness–breathiness–asthenicity–strain system (GRBAS). Laryngoscopy was also performed.

The median VoiSS was 26 (range three to 83). VoiSS were significantly lower in the 17 patients with normal laryngeal structure and function (range four to 46; median 22), compared with the 26 patients with functional or structural laryngeal abnormality (range three to 83; median 33) (95 per cent confidence intervals for difference 0.0–21.0; p = 0.044). The overall grade score for the GRBAS scale did not differ between these two groups, and only 13 patients had a GRBAS score of one or more, recognised as indicating a voice problem. There were positive correlations between related GRBAS score and voice symptom score subscales. Although voice symptom scores were significantly more abnormal in patients with structural and functional abnormalities, this score performed only moderately well as a predictive tool (sensitivity 54 per cent; specificity 71 per cent). Nevertheless, the voice symptom score performed as well as the more labour-intensive GRBAS score (sensitivity 57 per cent; specificity 60 per cent). Patients' inhaled corticosteroid dose (median dose 1000 µg beclomethasone dipropionate or equivalent) had a statistically significant relationship with their overall grade score for the GRBAS scale (r = 0.56; p < 0.001), but not with their VoiSS. Only one patient had evidence of laryngeal candidiasis, and only two had any evidence of abnormality suggesting steroid-induced myopathy.

Vocal morbidity is common in patients with asthma, and should not be immediately attributed to steroid-related candidiasis. The VoiSS merits further, prospective validation as a screening tool for ENT and/or speech and language therapy referral in patients with asthma.

To evaluate parental experience, satisfaction and outcomes following their child's tonsillectomy surgery.

Structured postal questionnaire sent to the parents or guardians of 77 sequential children undergoing elective day-case tonsillectomy.

Seventy-seven children with a mean age of 6.25 years (range three to 17 years) undergoing day-case tonsillectomy predominantly for recurrent acute tonsillitis, upper airway obstruction or a combination of these symptoms; 63.6 per cent of the parents or guardians of these children responded to the questionnaire.

There was overall satisfaction with the operation, and positive health outcomes.

Despite the current public health agenda to limit access to routine high volume operations such as childhood tonsillectomy on economic grounds, the users of this service rated the outcomes and benefits of the procedure highly.

Radiotherapy is an important treatment modality for head and neck tumours. One of its major drawbacks is post-treatment salivary gland hypofunction. This study was performed to objectively evaluate the salivary gland function in post-irradiated head and neck tumour patients.

We performed a cross-sectional study of 30 patients with head and neck tumours who had received radiotherapy. Unstimulated and stimulated whole salivary flow rates were assessed in these 30 patients, and compared with those of 30 normal subjects. Unstimulated whole saliva was measured by the draining method, while the spitting method was used to collect stimulated whole saliva.

Both unstimulated and stimulated whole salivary flow rates were significantly reduced in the irradiated patients, compared with the normal subjects. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0001).

Salivary function in post-irradiated head and neck tumour patients (assessed as salivary flow rates) was significantly reduced compared with normal controls, suggesting marked salivary gland hypofunction.

To report the characteristics, prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of 102 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue treated and followed up at a single institution over a 25-year period.

This retrospective study was carried out by auditing the medical records of 102 patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue and treated at our institution between 1982 and 2007. Patient follow up ranged from nine to 310 months (median 35 months). Fifty per cent of the patients were treated with surgery followed by a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (43.1 per cent received concurrent chemoradiation and 6.9 per cent received sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy), whereas 29.4 per cent received surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy alone. The remaining patients (20.6 per cent) did not undergo surgery and were treated with definitive radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy.

There were 48 men and 54 women. The age at presentation was 19–85 years (median 57 years). The peak incidence was observed between 60 and 70 years. Resection margins were clear in 75 per cent of patients and involved in 25 per cent. Stage I disease was found in 11.8 per cent of patients, stage II in 34.3 per cent, stage III in 22.5 per cent and stage IV in 31.4 per cent. The five-year disease-free survival and overall survival were 65.7 and 72.5 per cent, respectively. Thirty-five patients suffered recurrence after treatment, 74.0 per cent of them at the site of initial cervical nodal involvement. Univariate analysis for overall survival revealed the following as prognostic factors: treatment schedule (surgical vs non-surgical; p < 0.001); age (<60 years vs ≥60 years; p = 0.038); extent of cervical lymph node involvement (p = 0.015); primary tumour stage (p < 0.001); node stage (p = 0.034); and disease stage (p = 0.013). However, on multivariate analysis, only non-surgical treatment (p = 0.001) and advanced disease stage (p = 0.05) were found to have a negative influence on survival.

Our limited data suggest that, in Iran, squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue tends to present at a locally advanced stage, with a high frequency of locoregional failure and a poor outcome. Combined modality therapy should be considered for the majority of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

To demonstrate the importance of two radiological views in the assessment of oesophageal foreign bodies.

The case of a child with multiple oesophageal foreign bodies appearing as a single object on an antero-posterior chest radiograph is used to illustrate the need for two radiological views in the assessment of such cases.

Two radiological views are recommended in the assessment of oesophageal foreign bodies.

The aim of this paper is to describe a novel technique of improving the nasal airflow in patients in whom, despite reduction surgery to the inferior turbinates (either alone or with septal surgery), the nasal airways remain compromised because of obstruction occurring anterior to the inferior turbinate, due to a prominent nasal process of the maxilla at the pyriform aperture.

We describe a novel approach to resection of the nasal process of the maxilla, a technique performed in 40 patients with either: residual obstructive symptoms following septal surgery with or without turbinate surgery; and significant inspiratory alar collapse. The same technique was also used in two patients to improve the intranasal approach to the medial and anterior maxilla during endoscopic medial maxillectomy for recurrent inverted papilloma.

Patients reported a subjective improvement in their nasal airways, with resolution of inspiratory alar collapse. This technique significantly improved intranasal access in the two patients with inverted papilloma.

This technique confers significant subjective improvement of nasal airways patency in selected patients, and improves endoscopic surgical access to clear inverted papilloma.

Carbon monoxide is an endogenous vasodilator gas produced by the enzyme heme oxygenase (HO). HO is expressed in human nasal mucosa, but its pathophysiological role in nasal inflammatory diseases is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to detect and compare the expression of HO-1 and -2 isoforms in nasal polyps with normal nasal mucosa.

Immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies specific for HO-1 and -2 was conducted on nasal polyps from nine patients with allergic nasal polyposis, and on normal nasal mucosa from six controls.

Intense HO-1 immunoreactivity was observed in nasal polyp epithelium but was absent in normal nasal mucosa. HO-2 staining was observed in respiratory epithelium, vascular endothelium and seromucous glands, with no difference observed between nasal polyps and normal nasal mucosa.

HO-1 expression is up-regulated in nasal polyp epithelium, supporting the theory that respiratory epithelium plays a role in the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis.

X-linked hypophosphataemic osteomalacia is the most common of the genetically determined forms of osteomalacia. The occurrence of hearing loss in X-linked hypophosphataemic osteomalacia has been known since 1984. However, observations on the progression of such hearing loss, and suggestions regarding possible therapy, have not previously been published.

Case report of a patient with X-linked hypophosphataemic osteomalacia and hearing loss, with three years' audiological follow up, description of empirical therapy and literature review.

The patient presented with fluctuating hearing. An audiogram showed mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss mainly in the low and high frequencies. A temporary improvement of 20–40 dB after steroid therapy was observed. Four weeks later, hearing had deteriorated again, mainly in the low frequencies. After one year of fluctuating hearing levels, stabilisation occurred.

In X-linked hypophosphataemic osteomalacia, hearing loss occurs predominantly in the low and high frequencies. The hearing loss type and progression pattern point to an endolymphatic hydrops as the pathogenetic mechanism. Steroid therapy may be of some benefit.

To report a rare case of a laryngeal paraganglioma related to succinate dehydrogenase gene mutation C.

A case report and a review of the world literature concerning succinate dehydrogenase mutations and laryngeal paraganglioma are presented.

We identified a laryngeal paraganglioma in a 38-year-old woman, related to a very rare, deleterious in exon 4 of the succinate dehydrogenase mutation C. This mutation was a non-sense mutation: c.183G >A leading to p.Trp61X. No other neuroendocrine tumour was identified in this case, but a thyroid papillary carcinoma was concomitantly discovered and cured.

To our knowledge, this is the first report in the world literature of laryngeal paraganglioma related to a succinate dehydrogenase mutation C. The case presented underlines the fact that every patient with paraganglioma should be tested for succinate dehydrogenase genetic mutations, even if a family history of paraganglioma is absent, in order to enable appropriate clinical management and to improve our knowledge of familial paraganglioma.

To describe a previously unreported case of repair of a lateral frontal sinus cerebrospinal fluid leak, using the endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure.

Case report of new technique, with reference to the world literature.

An effective endoscopic, transnasal repair of a lateral frontal sinus cerebrospinal fluid leak was achieved in a 60-year-old man. The defect was closed with fat, fascia lata and free mucosal grafts. The left nasal cavity was packed and a lumbar drain left in situ post-operatively. The drain and packs were removed one week later and the patient discharged with no complications, and no recurrence at 12 months' follow up.

Such cerebrospinal fluid leaks have traditionally been repaired using an external approach with osteoplastic flaps and obliteration of the sinus. We highlight the endoscopic modified Lothrop technique as an effective alternative approach to repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks in poorly accessible areas of the frontal sinus.