PHOENIX-The right recurrent laryngeal nerve showed greater stimulation than the left during anterior cervical spine surgery on 40 patients, researchers have shown in a study intended to promote greater understanding and prevention of damage to the recurrent nerve during the procedure.
Patients who undergo a transnasal esophagoscopy using narrow-band imaging are more likely to have dysplasia diagnosed with a biopsy than those who have the exam using only white light, researchers have reported.
In a prospective study, researchers have found that most otitis media infections are associated with rhinovirus upper respiratory infections-making the prospect of a vaccine to prevent the ear infections remote.
Cellular therapy refers to the use of live cells to replace or repair a damaged organ system. The first widespread use of this approach occurred more than 50 years ago when hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from the bone marrow of a healthy donor (allogeneic) were used to replace the hematopoietic system of a recipient after it was ablated during chemo/radio therapy of leukemia, the recipient’s hematopoietic system being “collateral damage” during the eradication of the unwanted leukemia cells.
Patients who were allowed to test drive a vocal fold injection-and who later decided on a permanent augmentation-found that the trial treatment translated in positive outcomes, researchers have found.
In September, the American Association of Otolaryngologists-Head and Neck Surgeons (AAO-HNS) published the first clinical practice guidelines on the removal of impacted cerumen (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2008;139:S1-S21).
Treatment with the antiepileptic drug pregabalin (Lyrica) appears to relieve symptoms among patients with laryngeal sensory neuropathy, researchers reported at the 88th annual meeting of the American Broncho-Esophagological Association.