Otolaryngology News and Research

RSS

The medical discipline and practice of otolaryngology is a specialty that addresses conditions of the ears, nose, and throat. Another name for this practice is otolaryngology head and neck surgery.

Migraines ring alarm bells for hearing loss

People who suffer from migraines are at an increased risk for developing hearing loss, report researchers.

14 Aug 2012

Elimination diet may help manage cow's milk protein allergy in infants

Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA), although difficult to diagnose in young children, shows a causative relationship to otolaryngic symptoms. A new study in the August journal, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery suggests an elimination diet may help manage such conditions in children under two and reduce the need for more serious upper airway tests and interventions.

8 Aug 2012

Boric acid treatment equals best practice for otitis media

Study findings show that a single application of boric acid powder followed by external auditory canal irrigation is as effective as topical ciprofloxacin eardrops for treating active chronic otitis media.

6 Aug 2012

Researchers isolate elusive human gene that causes NMNAT1-related Leber congenital amaurosis

Researchers from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division and their collaborators have isolated an elusive human gene that causes a common form of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a relatively rare but devastating form of early-onset blindness. The new LCA gene is called NMNAT1.

30 Jul 2012

Treatment with robotic surgery offers dramatic benefit for people with head and neck cancer

Predictors of disease severity in human papillomavirus-derived head and neck cancer, tobacco use, and the dramatic benefits of robotic surgery in people with head and neck cancer are among landmark research presented by Mount Sinai School of Medicine at the Eighth International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer. The meeting took place from July 21-25, 2012 in Toronto.

27 Jul 2012

RPB awards $110,000 grant to Mass. Eye and Ear and HMS for research into blinding diseases

Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has awarded a grant of $110,000 to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding diseases. The research will be directed by Joan W. Miller, M.D., Chief of the Mass. Eye and Ear and Mass. General Hospital's Departments of Ophthalmology and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.

21 Jul 2012

HPV positively impacts overall survival in African Americans with oropharyngeal cancer

Even though the human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for certain head and neck cancers, its presence could make all the difference in terms of survival, especially for African Americans with throat cancer, say Henry Ford Hospital researchers.

21 Jul 2012

Montefiore physician to develop tablet computer app for children with cochlear implants

Elena Willis, MD Resident Physician, Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, has been awarded a $10,000 Resident Research Grant by The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, sponsored by The Oticon Foundation, to develop a tablet computer app to help improve the speech of children with cochlear implants.

20 Jul 2012

Robotic surgery shows promise for local control of OSCC

In individuals with low-risk oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, treatment with transoral robotic surgery alone can result in an excellent rate of local disease control for up to 3 years, report researchers.

19 Jul 2012

U.S. News & World Report names Mayo Clinic among 2012 America's Best Hospitals

Mayo Clinic ranked near the top of the 23rd U.S. News & World Report annual America's Best Hospital list, earning the No. 3 overall spot on its "Best Hospitals" list. Mayo Clinic in Rochester also was rated best in the nation in three clinical areas -- gynecology, diabetes and endocrinology, and gastroenterology.

18 Jul 2012

Sorting rhinosinusitis symptoms by ‘SNOT-22’

The three leading symptoms for chronic rhinosinusitis are nasal blockage, alterations to smell/taste, and needing to blow the nose, report UK researchers.

17 Jul 2012

Cochlear implants work well for Waardenburg children

Children with Waardenburg syndrome respond well to cochlear implantation and achieve equally good speech and hearing outcomes as nonsyndromic children undergoing the same procedure, report researchers.

11 Jul 2012

Study details development of first mouse model for Usher syndrome III

A new study published in the July 11 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience details the development of the first mouse model engineered to carry the most common mutation in Usher syndrome III causative gene (Clarin-1) in North America.

11 Jul 2012

Safer imaging of children with otolaryngologic disease is a shared responsibility

Advances in diagnostic imaging have benefited children with otolaryngologic disease, allowing shorter hospital stays, fewer invasive procedures, more targeted surgical procedures, and earlier and more precise diagnoses. However, despite improved technology, concerns about exposure of children to ionizing radiation have recently come to the forefront, according to a commentary in the July 2012 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

2 Jul 2012

Oral health may be linked to HPV status of head and neck cancer

The chronic oral inflammatory disease periodontitis may be associated with human papillomavirus status in individuals with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, report researchers.

28 Jun 2012

ESCs and iPSCs demonstrate similar survival and neural differentiation capabilities

Researchers in Japan who evaluated the risks and efficacy of transplanting two varieties of stem cells into mouse cochlea have concluded that both adult-derived induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells demonstrate similar survival and neural differentiation capabilities.

27 Jun 2012

Mount Sinai offers transoral robotic surgery for sleep apnea treatment

The Center for Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center—a pioneer in robotic surgery—now offers the procedure to patients with sleep apnea, whose obstructive breathing prevents them from sleeping normally. Mount Sinai is one of only a few programs in the world to use transoral robotic surgery (TORS) to remove excess tissue or fix a collapsed airway that causes sleep apnea.

25 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Health law can be intensely personal; Insurers' promises miss the mark

Whenever I read or hear objections to "Obamacare," I think about my friend's son. The son had cancer when he was a teenager. Thankfully, his dad had health insurance -- through his job. A job that he lost. He has a new job now, but like so many new jobs, it doesn't pay as much -- and it doesn't come with benefits. Fortunately, his son seems to have beaten the cancer. And the family now has health insurance from the mom's job. So the son, thanks to "Obamacare," can be insured through his parents.

21 Jun 2012

Liposuction effective in treating submental lymphedema in patients with head and neck cancer

Liposuction is a novel and minimally invasive procedure for treating persistent submental lymphedema in patients with previous head and neck cancer, according to an article published in the June 2012 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

13 Jun 2012

New approach can design antibiotics that kill even 'superbugs'

The world needs new antibiotics to overcome the ever increasing resistance of disease-causing bacteria - but it doesn't need the side effect that comes with some of the most powerful ones now available: hearing loss. Today, researchers report they have developed a new approach to designing antibiotics that kill even "superbugs" but spare the delicate sensory cells of the inner ear.

12 Jun 2012