Objective: To undertake a postal survey of cancer networks to define the services available for the diagnosis, treatment and support of patients with head and neck cancer in England.

Findings: Thirty-four cancer networks are now responsible for the delivery of head and neck cancer services in England and 52 cancer units responded to our questionnaire. Multidisciplinary team working was evident in all centres. However such team working was not always fully staffed, especially in areas of national staff shortages such as pathology, radiology, dietetics and speech therapy. Rapid referral pathways were present for initial assessment of patients but clinically significant delays were identified in the provision of complex investigations, in access to intensive care beds and for oncological care – especially radiotherapy.

Conclusions: Major changes in service configuration are likely to be required if the current national targets of time to diagnosis and treatment are to be met.

Objective: To conduct a prospective randomized controlled trial describing and investigating the efficacy and safety of radiosurgical excision of benign superficial vocal fold lesions.

Materials and methods: Fifty patients with benign superficial vocal fold lesions (20 vocal nodules, 27 vocal polyps and three Reinke’s oedema) who failed conservative therapy were included in the study. They were equally randomized into cold knife or radiosurgical excision. Clinical and voice assessments were done pre-operatively and after surgery. Voice analysis included a subjective visual analogue scale (VAS) and a perceptual assessment with a simplified version of the GRBAS scale (GRB) consisting of G (grade), R (roughness), and B (breathiness). Acoustic voice evaluation included jitter and shimmer. Post-operative voice therapy was provided for all patients. Complications, smoothness of post-operative recovery, and administration of analgesia were reported.

Results: Both groups experienced significant improvement in VAS, perceptual evaluation and acoustic analysis after surgery, with no evidence of significant differences between the cold knife and radiofrequency groups. The radiofrequency group showed a decrease of 17 per cent in the mean operative time when compared with the cold knife group, but this was not statistically significant. No evidence of a significant difference was noticed in the smoothness of post-operative recovery, administration of analgesia and complication rate.

Conclusion: Radiophonosurgery opens a new therapeutic approach for patients with benign superficial vocal fold lesions. It combines the advantages of both cold knife and laser phonosurgery, being easy, safe, precise and effective, and having excellent tactile and haemostatic properties.

To ascertain whether local anaesthetic use is of clinical benefit in nasal surgery, a prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial of topical bupivacaine on post-operative pain in patients packed after bilateral nasal surgery was carried out. Each patient received a bupivacaine-soaked and a saline-soaked Merocel pack, thereby acting as their own control. Power analysis ascertained the number of patients required to enter the trial to detect a statistically significant difference in pain. Fifty-seven patients completed the trial. Visual analogue scales determined the level of post-operative pain at different time points in each nostril. Less pain was demonstrated in nostrils containing bupivacaine-soaked packs compared with saline-soaked packs at two hours (p < 0.0001), four hours (p = 0.0183) and six hours (p = 0.0476) post-operatively. Although not statistically significant, less pain was noted on pack removal on the local anaesthetic sides. These results provide clinical-based evidence for the use of bupivacaine as a local anaesthetic in reducing pain following nasal surgery with packing.

Folate metabolism dysregulation may lead to abnormal cell proliferation andpredispose to carcinogenesis by inducing DNA hypomethylation. Folate pathways may be modified by polymorphisms in relevant genes, such as that for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), or by alcohol consumption. We investigated the relationship between MTHFR mutations at nucleotides C677T and A1298C, which cause reduced MTHFR enzyme activity, and susceptibility to oropharyngolaryngeal carcinoma in 65 patients and 100 controls. We isolated DNA from peripheral bloodleukocytes. In oropharyngolaryngeal carcinoma cases the C677T heterozygous genotype was more frequent (p = 0.018), the allele frequency of MTHFR 677T was greater (p = 0.019) and the genotype 677TT/1298AA was more frequent (p = 0.001). A higher risk of carcinoma was found in the case of moderate drinkers with mutant MTHFR homozygosis or double heterozygosis (OR = 21.2 and OR = 9.1, respectively; p trend = 0.002), and the association wasmaintained for the different cancer sites (glottic, supraglottic, oropharyngeal). Our findings support the hypothesis that the interaction of alcohol intake and MTHFR polymorphisms might contribute to susceptibility to carcinogenesis of the oropharyngolaryngeal tract.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common condition which is treated using different modalities, including immunotherapy. The aim of this study was to survey the current management strategies among ENT consultants in the UK in treating AR, and their views on immunotherapy. The study design was a postal questionnaire survey and the setting a university teaching hospital. Participants were consultant members of the British Association of Otolaryngologists – Head and Neck Surgeons (BAO-HNS). The main outcome measures were common treatment modalities adopted by the survey group to treat AR, and the number of consultants practising immunotherapy. The majority (81.1 per cent) of the consultants surveyed practise medical therapy with or without surgery. Immunotherapy is advised by 26 per cent of ENT consultants, but only 6.6 per cent currently administer immunotherapy.

Objective: Fine needle aspiration cytology is a well established tool for investigating many head and neck conditions. Its application in parotid tumours is, however, controversial. This article is aimed at defining the role of ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnostic work up of parotid tumours. The accuracy and utility of FNAC of parotid tumours was also assessed.

Design: Retrospective case note review.

Setting: District general hospital.

Participants: Review of 69 patient records who had parotid surgery under one surgeon’s care (JS). Clinical opinion, FNAC results and final pathology findings were examined.

Main outcome measures: The results of the FNAC were compared to the histopathological diagnosis obtained from the surgical specimen.

Results: Histological evaluation revealed 13 malignant tumours and 56 benign lesions. The overall sensitivity of FNAC was 84.6 per cent and specificity was 96.4 per cent. We noted 11 true positive, 54 true negative, two false negative and two false positive results. Positive predictive value for diagnosing malignancy was 84.6 per cent and negative predictive value for malignancy was 96.4 per cent. The overall accuracy of FNAC of parotids in this study was 94.2 per cent.

Conclusions: FNAC results provide useful preoperative information. FNAC enables more reliable patient counselling and reduces pathological surprises. Pre-operative recognition of malignant tumours may help prepare both the surgeon and patient for an appropriate surgical procedure. Its enhancement of the pre-operative recognition of malignant parotid tumours may alert more stringent attention to the operative margin and hence better tumour clearance. Ultrasound guided FNAC was found to be highly specific for malignancy and its sensitivity for malignancy was good.

This case illustrates the surgical use of wire localization, a well tried technique from a different field of surgery, in the removal of an ultrasound-detected, impalpable deep lower cervical lymph node in a high-risk patient. A localization needle with an echogenic tip was placed freehand under ultrasound guidance, immediately before surgery. The imaging and marking of the impalpable cervical lymph node resulted in a precise surgical dissection and a reduction in operating time whilst minimizing risks to the patient and staff.

We reviewed acute epiglottitis (AE) and identified factors associated with airway intervention. This report was a retrospective review of patients with AE and compared with factors associated with airway intervention. We reviewed 96 patients who were diagnosed with AE in our hospitals in Japan. Ninety-two (96 per cent) patients were adults, and no seasonal variation in the incidence of AE was encountered. Eight (8 per cent) patients had tracheostomy and endotracheal intubation had not been done. We found that symptoms of stridor and muffled voice, a rapid clinical course, and diabetes mellitus were the factors associated with airway intervention. Extremely severe swelling of the epiglottis such that only less than half of the posterior vocal fold (scope classification (SC): III) could be seen, and extension of the swelling to the arytenoids (SC: B) were the two factors that were strongly associated with airway intervention.

Objective: In children cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorhinorrhoea can be due to congenital inner-ear malformations. Cochlear dysplasia associated with a defect in the stapes footplate is usually the cause of the CSF leak. Repair of the CSF leak in these cases is usually done by packing the vestibule with muscle or fascia. This traditional method of repair has a 30 to 60 per cent failure rate.

Material and methods: CSF otorhinorrhoea due to congenital inner-ear anomalies in four patients was repaired using multiple-layer packing of the vestibule with glue, muscle and fascia, reinforced by a pedicle temporalis muscle graft. Intra-operatively, continous lumbar drainage wasperformed.

Results: Repair of the CSF leak was successful in four cases and no recurrence was noticed. Inner-ear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using three-dimensional fast-spin echo (3D FSE) T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and 3D steady-state free precession (FIESTA) sequences was found to be a very helpful, noninvasive investigation to localize the site and route of the CSF leak.

Conclusions: Children presenting with recurrent meningitis and CSF rhinorrhoea should be investigated for congenital inner-ear anomalies. In these cases CSF fistulae should be repaired using fibrin or cyanoacrylate glue and intra-operative continuous lumbar drainage; 3D FSE T2WI and 3D FIESTA MRI sequences of the inner ear are helpful.

Access to the anterior tympanic cavity is often restricted by the handle of the malleus. The aim of this paper is to describe a surgical malleus osteotomy that allows the malleus handle to swing superiorly. The authors have found few problems related to this technique, especially with regard to restoration of normal post-operative hearing.

Indwelling silastic stents have been used in the subglottis and upper trachea to manage laryngotracheal abnormalities. A number of methods of fixation have been described. The authors describe a quick and simple method of fixing endoluminal tracheal stents using a single suture.

Objective and hypothesis: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a relatively common and serious problem with many medical and social consequences. Laser and radiofrequency are two recent techniques used to treat OSA and they can be carried out under local anaesthesia, but they need multiple sessions to achieve satisfactory outcome and are associated with better short-term than long-term outcomes. In this work we compare the two modalities as regards the optimal number of treatment sessions needed to achieve a favourable outcome in the short and long term. Study design: A total of 150 patients with apnoea hypopnoea index (AHI) between 5 and 30 events per hour, no morbid obesity and retropalatal site of obstruction were included in this prospective study. Methods: Patients were randomly and equally divided into two groups, each comprising 75 patients. The first group was treated with bipolar radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction of the palate (BRVTR) and the second group was treated with laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP). Each group was further subdivided into five subgroups each consisting of 15 patients. The first group received one treatment session, the second received two sessions, the third received three sessions, the fourth received four sessions and the fifth group received five treatment sessions. Evaluation of efficiency of both techniques in treating OSA was assessed objectively by polysomnography. Results: In those treated with BRVTR; at least three sessions were needed to achieve a favourable outcome in OSA in the short and long term. In those treated with LAUP, a single treatment session was enough to achieve a favourable outcome on OSA in the short term, while two sessions were needed to achieve the same long-term outcome. Discussion: In OSA, fewer treatment sessions are needed with LAUP (one session) than with BRVTR (three sessions) to achieve a favourable outcome. In LAUP more treatment sessions (two) are needed to maintain a longer-term favourable outcome than those needed to achieve short-term favourable outcome (one session), which is not the case with BRVTR (three sessions are needed to achieve both short- and long-term favourable results).

The prevalence of nasal polyposis (NP) in France (2.11 per cent) and its epidemiology (detection, medical management, patients' characteristics, risk factors, associated diseases, etc.) were determined in a population-based, cross-sectional, case–control study of 10 033 adults carried out in 2002. The impact of this disease on daily living was also studied, by the analysis of potential sleep disorders (validated questionnaire) and quality of life (QOL, SF-36 questionnaire) of NP patients, in a comparison with a matched-control group of individuals without NP.

A quarter of NP patients (24.6 per cent) reported a feeling of general discomfort due to their nasal condition, during the day as well as the night in most of these cases (61.2 per cent). Compared with controls, NP patients have a two-fold higher risk of suffering sleep disturbance (odds ratio [OR]: 2.25, 95 per cent confidence interval [95% CI] [1.54; 3.29]). Snoring was reported by 50.5 per cent of NP patients vs 35.7 per cent of controls (p < 0.001). All scores from the SF-36 questionnaire demonstrated a significant negative impact of NP on the different aspects of QOL.

The current study underlines the negative impact of NP on QOL and sleep, two dimensions that are rarely considered in its pathology. In addition to the discomfort and lowered QOL experienced by patients with this disease, a significant increase in sleep disorders was shown, suggesting a risk of suffering further chronic diseases and complications.

Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis is a rare, benign cause of submucosal thickening and fibrosis within the upper respiratory tract. It predominantly affects the nose although cases have been reported in the subglottis. We describe four cases of the disease centred around the nasal cavity, with widespread infiltration of the facial soft tissues and orbit in three of the four patients. Each underwent long term follow up. Multiple surgical resections were required with two of our patients and, to date, medical therapy has been of limited help. The disease process, with its clinical and characteristic histopathological findings, is described. We also discuss the management of the disease following a comprehensive review of, and comparison with, the few prior reported cases.

The tracheal mucosa is very a delicate structure, and pressure–ischaemia problems following the use of cuffed tracheostomy tubes are well documented. Iatrogenic tracheal stenosis is one of the consequences of mucosal ischaemia and is very difficult to treat. In this study the accuracy of finger-tip tested tracheostomy tube cuff inflation pressure, as judged by consultants and non-consultants, was assessed by comparison with manometric pressure readings. The estimated pressure readings from the consultant group were more accurate than those from the non-consultant group, but a high standard deviation and very big difference between low and high readings in both these groups showed the real extent of the problem. Participants who performed 10 or more tracheostomies a year obtained more accurate results. No definite correlation was observed between the readings and the experience of the participants in otolaryngology or the size of the tube used. The authors recommend that instrumental monitoring of cuff pressure be considered good practice among junior otolaryngologists.

Traditionally, microscissors, hooks, sickle knives and needles are used in the ear for the dissection and release of fibrous adhesions. The major limitation of these instruments is that they are often bent or blunt, as they are reuseable. We describe an ophthalmic knife that offers precision in middle-ear microsurgery.

Post-thyroidectomy patients often complain of globus pharyngeus type symptoms. One of the organic pathologies recognized as causing globus pattern symptoms is goitre. We conducted a prospective questionnaire-based study in the thyroid clinic at Hull Royal Infirmary to examine the relationship between goitre, thyroidectomy and globus pattern symptoms by using the Glasgow–Edinburgh Throat Scale. A questionnaire-based study in which 41 consecutive patients due to undergo thyroidectomy prospectively completed the questionnaire pre-operatively and 12 months post-operatively. A subset of 25 randomly selected patients also completed the questionnaire three months post-operatively. Globus symptoms were not worsened by thyroidectomy at three or 12 months. Indeed two of the questioned parameters were significantly improved at three months, and six at one year (p < 0.023). In conclusion, thyroidectomy does not exacerbate globus pharyngeus symptoms. Indeed, in the absence of other clinical causes, when a patient has a World Health Organization (WHO) 2 goitre or greater, thyroidectomy may improve them.

Objective: To determine the access to and the use of the Internet by acoustic neuroma patients as a medical information source, and the influence of the Internet on decision-making, as well as the patients' views on the quality of particular sites.

Materials and methods: A retrospective 27-item questionnaire was sent to 138 consecutive acoustic neuroma patients diagnosed between 1997 and 2002. The study included patients treated by conservative, radiotherapeutic and surgical modalities.

Main outcome measures: Patient demographics, the extent of Internet use as well as quality and quantity of available information.

Results: There were 86.95 per cent questionnaires available for analysis. Twenty-four per cent accessed the Internet to obtain information about acoustic neuromas. Ninety-seven per cent of patients said that the information provided in the clinic matched with the information obtained from the websites, 49 per cent said that the information obtained from the Internet did not influence decision making regarding acceptance of treatment of their tumour. Some patients said the Internet information was depressing, devastating, and they would never look up the Internet again for medical information.

Conclusion: A significant proportion of our patients accessed the Internet for information. Caution should be exercised when advising patients regarding websites as the information on the Internet is often not controlled or checked for accuracy. Acoustic neuroma specialists and ENT surgeons in general should familiarize themselves with related websites so that patients can then be directed to high-quality sites.