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 KEY TOPICS IN
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
AND HEAD AND NECK SURGERY
SECOND EDITION
 The KEY TOPICS Series
Advisors:
T.M.Craft Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK
C.S.Garrard Intensive therapy Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
P.M.Upton Department of Anaesthesia,Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, Truro, UK
Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Second Edition
Accident and Emergency Medicine
Paediatrics, Second Edition
Orthopaedic Surgery
Ophthalmology
Psychiatry
General Surgery
Renal Medicine
Trauma
Chronic Pain
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Oncology
Cardiovascular Medicine
Neurology
Neonatology
Gastroenterology
Thoracic Surgery
Respiratory Medicine
Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery
Critical Care
Otolaryngology, Second Edition
Forthcoming titles include:
Anaesthesia, Third Edition
Accident and Emergency Medicine, Second Edition
Urology
Ophthalmology, Second Edition
Acute Poisoning
 KEY TOPICS IN
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
and Head and Neck Surgery
Second Edition

N.J.ROLAND
MD, FRCS
Consultant in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,
Honorary Lecturer, Liverpool University, University Hospital
Aintree, Liverpool, UK

R.D.R.McRAE
FRCS
Consultant in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,
Colchester General Hospital, Colchester, Essex, UK

A.W.McCOMBE
MD, FRCS
Consultant in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,
Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, UK
 © BIOS Scientific Publishers Limited, 2001
First published 1995
Second Edition 2001
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to
www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by
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ISBN 1 85996 198 3 (Print Edition)

BIOS Scientific Publishers Ltd

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Tel. +44 (0)1865 726286. Fax +44 (0) 1865 246823
World Wide Web home page: http://www.bios.co.uk/
Important Note from the Publisher
The information contained within this book was obtained by BIOS Scientific Publishers Ltd from sources believed by us to be reliable.
However, while every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, no responsibility for loss or injury whatsoever occasioned to any
person acting or refraining from action as a result of information contained herein can be accepted by the authors or publishers.
The reader should remember that medicine is a constantly evolving science and while the authors and publishers have ensured that all
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in the country in which you are practising.
Production Editor: Paul Barlass.
 CONTENTS

Acoustic neuroma 1
Acute suppurative otitis media 4
Adenoids 7
Allergic rhinitis 10
Anaesthesia—general 13
Anaesthesia—local 18
Benign neck lumps 22
Caloric tests 26
Cervical lymphadenopathy 28
Choanal atresia 32
Cholesteatoma 34
Chronic suppurative otitis media 37
Chronic suppurative otitis media—complications 41
Clinical assessment of hearing 44
Clinical governance and audit 48
Cochlear implants 52
Congenital hearing disorders 58
Cosmetic surgery 62
Day case ENT surgery 66
Epiglottitis 69
Epistaxis 72
Evidence based medicine 75
Evoked response audiometry 78
Examination of the ear 82
Examination of the nose 85
vi

Examination of the throat 88

External ear conditions 91
Facial nerve palsy 94
Facial pain and headache 99
Foreign bodies 104
Functional endoscopic sinus surgery 109
Globus pharyngeus 114
Halitosis 116
Hearing aids 118
HIV infection 122
Hypopharyngeal carcinoma 125
Impedance audiometry 129
Intrinsic rhinitis 132
Labyrinthitis 135
Laryngeal carcinoma 139
Laryngectomy 144
Lasers in ENT 148
Literature evaluation 152
Mastoidectomy 159
Medico-legal aspects of ENT surgery 162
Menière’s disease 167
Nasal granulomata 170
Nasal polyps 174
Nasal trauma 177
Nasopharyngeal tumours 180
Neck dissection 185
Neck space infection 188
Noise-induced hearing loss 192
Non-organic hearing loss 195
Oral cavity carcinoma 197
 vii

Oroantral fistula 201

Oropharyngeal carcinoma 203
Otalgia 207
Otitis externa 210
Otitis media with effusion (glue ear) 214
Otoacoustic emissions 217
Otological aspects of head injury 219
Otorrhoea 222
Otosclerosis 224
Ototoxicity 229
Paediatric airway problems 233
Paediatric endoscopy 237
Paediatric hearing assessment 239
Papilloma of the larynx 242
Perilymph fistula 245
Pharyngeal pouch 247
Pharyngocutaneous fistula 250
Presbyacusis 253
Pure tone audiogram 256
Radiology in ENT 259
Radiotherapy 265
Reconstructive surgery 268
Salivary gland diseases 272
Salivary gland neoplasms 275
Septal perforation 278
Sinonasal tumours 280
Sinusitis 285
Sinusitis—complications 291
Smell and taste disorders 294
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea 297
viii

Speech audiometry 301

Speech therapy in head and neck surgery 304
Speech therapy in non-malignant voice disorders 308
Stridor and stertor 311
Sudden hearing loss 315
Thyroid disease—benign 317
Thyroid disease—malignant 323
Tinnitus 328
Tonsil diseases 331
Tonsillectomy 334
Tracheostomy 337
Tympanoplasty 341
Tympanosclerosis 343
Vertigo 345
Vestibular function tests 348
Vocal cord palsy 352

Index 355
 CONTRIBUTORS

P.Bradley
Consultant Otolaryngologist, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
George Browning
Professor of Otolaryngology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK
P.Charters
Consultant Anaesthetist, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK
Austin Leach
Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK
T.H.J.Lesser
Consultant ENT Surgeon, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK
Huw Lewis-Jones
Consultant Radiologist, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK
N.S.Niranjan
Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Colchester General Hospital, Colchester, Essex, UK
Michael Pringle
Consultant Otolaryngologist, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, UK
M.F.Ramadan
Consultant ENT Surgeon, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK
S.R.Saeed
Consultant Otolaryngologist, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK
A.Shenoy
Consultant Oncologist, Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, Bebington, Wirral, UK
J.C.Watkinson
Consultant Head and Neck and Thyroid Surgeon, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Medical
Centre, Birmingham, UK
PamYoung
Senior Speech and Language Therapist, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK
 ABBREVIATIONS

AA androgenic alopecia
AJC American Joint Committee
ANCA anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody
ASA American Society of Anesthesiologists
ASOM Acute suppurative otitis media
BAHA bone-anchored hearing aid
BDNF brain-derived neurotrophic factor
BERA brainstem evoked response audiometry
BEHA behind the ear hearing aid
BIPP bismuth iodoform paraffin paste
BW body-worn hearing aid
c-ANCA cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody
CHARGE colobama, heart disease, atresia choanae, retarded growth and development, genital
anomalies, ear abnormalities and deafness
CHI Commission for Health Improvement
CHOP cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, oncovine (vincristine) and prednisolone
CJD Creutzfeldt Jakob disease
COWS cold-opposite, warm-same
CPU central processing unit
CROS contralateral routing of signal
CSF cerebro-spinal fluid
CSOM chronic suppurative otitis media
CT computerized tomography
DSF delayed speech feedback
DSP digital signal processing
EAM external auditory meatus
EBV Epstein-Barr virus
ECochG electrocochleography
ECS extra-capsular spread
 xi

EEMG evoked electromyogram

EMLA eutectic mixture of local anaesthetic
EPS exophthalmos producing substance
Er:YAG erbium: YAG (laser)
ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate
EUA examination under anaesthetic
FBC full blood count
FESS functional endoscopic sinus surgery
FNA fine needle aspiration
FNAC fine needle aspiration cytology
FTA fluorescent treponemal antibody test
GASH gender, age, stage and histology
GDNF glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor
GPN glossopharyngeal neuralgia
HIB Haemophilus influenzae type B
HL hearing level
Ho:YAG holmium: YAG (laser)
HPL half-peak level
HPLE half-peak level elevation
HPV human papillomavirus
HSV herpes simplex virus
IAM internal auditory meatus
IHC inner hair cell
IR intrinsic rhinitis
ITC ‘in the canal’
ITE ‘in the ear’
KTP potassium titanyl phosphate (laser)
MEN multiple endocrine neoplasia
MRI magnetic resonance imaging
MSGC minor salivary gland carcinoma
NARTI nucleoside analogue
NCEPOD National Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths
Nd-YAG neodymium doped-yttrium aluminium garnet (laser)
NF2 neurofibromatosis type 2
NHL non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
NICE National Institute for Clinical Excellence
NIHL noise-induced hearing loss
NNRTI non-nucleoside
xii

NOHL non-organic hearing loss

NPC nasopharyngeal carcinoma
OAE otoacoustic emission
ODS optimum discrimination score
OHC outer hair cell
p-ANCA perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody
PCT percutaneous tracheostomy
PE pharyngo-oesophageal
PI protease inhibitors
PHN postherpetic neuralgia
PLF perilymph fistula
PORP partial ossicular replacement prosthesis
PRIST plasma radioimmunosorbent test
pTNM pathological staging
PTS permanent threshold shift
RAST radioallergosorbent test
SCC squamous cell carcinoma
SCPL supracricoid partial laryngectomy
SMAS superficial muscle and aponeurotic system
SMR submucosal resection
SNHL sensorineural hearing loss
SRT speech reception threshold
STIR short tau inversion recovery
SVR surgical voice restoration
TENS transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
TEOAE transient evoked otoacoustic emission
TGN trigeminal neuralgia
TMJ temperomandibular joint
TORP total ossicular replacement prosthesis
TPHA treponema pallidum haemagglutination test
TSH thyroid stimulating hormone
TTS temporary threshold shift
UICC International Union Against Cancer
URTI upper respiratory tract infection
USS ultrasound scan
VAPEL-B vincristine, adreomycin, prednisolone, etoposide, cyclophosphamide and bleomycin
VMA vanillylmandelic acid
 xiii

WG Wegener’s granulomatosis
WHO World Health Organization
WNG White Noise Generators
 NAMES OF MEDICAL SUBSTANCES

In accordance with directive 92/27/EEC, this book adheres to the following guidelines on naming of
medicinal substances (rINN, Recommended International Non-proprietary Name; BAN, British Approved
Name).

List 1 - Both names to appear List 2 - rlNN to appear exclusively

UK Name rlNN Former BAN rINN/new BAN

2adrenaline epinephrine amoxycillin amoxicillin
amethocaine tetracaine amphetamine amfetamine
bendrofluazide bendroflumethiazide amylobarbitone amobarbital
benzhexol trihexyphenidyl amylobarbitone sodium amobarbital sodium
chlorpheniramine chlorphenamine beclomethasone beclometasone
dicyclomine dicycloverine benorylate benorilate
dothiepin dosulepin busulphan busulfan
eformoterole formoterol butobarbitone butobarbital
flurandrenolone fludroxycortide carticaine articane
frusemide furosemide cephalexin cefalexin
hydroxyurea hydroxycarbamide cephamandole nafate cefamandole nafate
lignocaine lidocaine cephazolin cefazolin
methotrimeprazine levomepromazine cephradine cefradine
methylene blue methylthoninium chloral betaine cloral betaine
mitozantrone mitoxantrone chlorbutol chlorobutanol
mustine chlormethine chlormethiazole clomethiazole
nicoumalone acenocoumarol chlorathalidone chlortalidone
2noradrenaline norepinephrine cholecalciferol colecalciferol
oxypentifylline pentoxyifylline cholestyramine colestyramine
procaine penicillin procaine benzylpenicillin clomiphene clomifene
salcatonin calcitonin (salmon) colistin sulphomethate colistimethate sodium
thymoxamine moxisylyte sodium
thyroxine sodium levothyroxine sodium corticotrophin corticotropin
trimeprazine alimemazine cysteamine mercaptamine
danthron dantron
 xv

desoxymethasone desoximetasone sodium ironedetate sodium feredetate

dexamphetamine dexamfetamine sodium picosulphate sodium picosulfate
dibromopropamidine dibrompropamidine sorbitan monostearate sorbitan stearate
dienoestrol dienestrol stilboestrol diethylstilbestrol
dimethicone(s) dimeticone sulphacetamide sulfacetamide
dimethyl sulphoxide dimethyl sulfoxide sulphadiazine sulfadiazine
doxycycline hydrochloride doxycycline hyclate sulphadimidine sulfadimidine
(hemihydrate sulphaguanadine sulfaguanadine
hemiethanolate)
sulphamethoxazole sulfamethoxazole
ethancrynic acid etacrynic acid
sulphasalazine sulfasalazine
ethamsylate etamsylate
sulphathiazole sulfathiazole
ethinyloestradiol ethinylestradiol
sulphinpyrazone sulfinpyrazone
ethynodiol etynodiol
tetracosactrin tetracosactide
flumethasone flumetasone
thiabendazole tiabendazole
flupenthixol flupentixol
thioguanine tioguanine
gestronol gestonorone
thiopentone thiopental
guaiphenesin guaifenesin
urofollitrophin urofollitropin
hexachlorophane hexachlorophene
hexamine hippurate methenamine hippurate
hydrosyprogesterone hydroxyprogesterone
hexanoate caproate
indomethacin indometacin
lysuride lisuride
methyl cysteine mecysteine
methylphenobarbitone methylphenobarbital
oestradiol estradiol
oestriol estriol
oestrone estrone
oxethazaine oxetacaine
pentaerythritol tetranitrate pentaerithrityl tetranitrate
phenobarbitone phenobarbital
pipothiazine pipotiazine
polyhexanide polihexanide
potassium cloazepate dipotassium clorazepate
pramoxine pramocaine
prothionamide protionamide
quinalbarbitone secobarbital
riboflavine riboflavin
sodium calciumedetate sodium calcium edetate
sodium cromoglycate sodium cromoglicate
 ACOUSTIC NEUROMA

Acoustic neuroma represents 8% of all intracranial tumours and 80% of cerebellopontine angle tumours.
They arise from Schwann (neurolemmal) cells. The commonest nerve of origin is the superior vestibular
nerve, followed by the inferior vestibular and then, rarely, the cochlear nerve. Many surgeons prefer
therefore the term vestibular schwannoma to acoustic neuroma.

Pathology
The medial portions of the cranial nerves are covered with glial stroma. Acoustic neuromas originate at the
junction of the glial and Schwann cells, which for the vestibular nerve is usually within the internal auditory
meatus. The sexes are equally affected and, whatever the time of onset and rate of progression, the
presentation is most often between the ages of 40 and 60. The annual incidence is approximately 1 in 100
000. The majority of these tumours are unilateral, and the small proportion that are bilateral (5%) are seen in
multiple neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). This is an autosomal dominant disease due to an aberration on the
long arm of chromosome 22.
Macroscopically the tumour appears as a firm yellowish encapsulated mass with the nerve splayed out on
its surface. Histologically the tumour consists of packed sheaves of connective tissue cells (fasciculated) or
may be composed of a disorderly loose network of cells with intercellular vacuoles and cysts (reticular
pattern). Haemorrhage can occur (particularly in the reticular type), leading to a sudden increase in size and
therefore marked symptoms such as acute vertigo or sudden deafness.

Clinical features
Clinically, two phases can be recognized: an otological phase in which a small tumour compresses
structures in the meatus; and a neurological phase as the tumour expands medially into the cerebellopontine
angle.
1. Otological symptoms. Gradual and progressive unilateral deafness is the usual presenting symptom
(90%). The deafness is often associated with tinnitus (70%). Sudden onset hearing loss can occur (10%).
Some patients have normal hearing (5%). Vertigo is an unusual complaint as compensation for vestibular
nerve damage usually keeps pace with the slow rate of neural destruction.
2. Trigeminal nerve symptoms. Facial pain, numbness and paraesthesiae may all occur.
3. Headache. Discomfort and dull aching around the ear and mastoid area are probably caused by
posterior fossa dura irritation due to the enlarging tumour.
4. Late symptoms. Like most motor nerves, the facial nerve is resistant to pressure deformity and
symptoms of facial weakness or hemifacial spasm are uncommon. Ataxia and unsteadiness develop with
2 OTOLARYNGOLOGY

progressive brain stem displacement and cerebellar involvement. Diplopia due to pressure on the VIth
cranial nerve, and hoarseness with dysphagia due to involvement of the IXth and Xth nerves is rare.
5. Terminal symptoms. The raised CSF pressure causes failing vision due to papilloedema, headache,
alteration in conscious level and eventually coma.
In the otological phase, general examination will usually reveal no abnormalities. The patient may have a
unilateral neural hearing loss. Hypaesthesia of the posterior external ear canal on the side of the hearing loss
should raise the index of suspicion (Hitselberger sign). Loss of the corneal reflex is an early sign of
trigeminal nerve impairment. Nystagmus when present may be of the vestibular or cerebellar type. Facial
nerve impairment is usually of the sensory element and can be elicited as a lack of taste on
electrogustometry or loss of lacrimation on Schirmer’s test. Slight facial weakness may show as a delay in
the blink reflex. Later the patient may have evidence of ataxia. Neurological signs of the other cranial nerve
palsies will eventually become apparent.

Investigations
1. Radiological investigations. The most accurate means of identifying small intracanalicular tumours is
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium enhancement. This is therefore the investigation of
choice and is used for screening. Computerized tomography (CT) scanning with high definition and
enhancement techniques will accurately diagnose and delineate most tumours, but should only be used
when MRI is unavailable.
2. Audiometry. A unilateral or asymmetrical sensorineural hearing loss can usually be demonstrated by a
pure tone audiogram. The hearing loss is classically a neural lesion with no loudness recruitment,
abnormally rapid adaptation and disproportionately poor speech discrimination. Stapedial reflex decay can
be measured using impedance audiometry, and this gives a low-false negative rate of around 5%. Brainstem
electric response audiometry has only a 3% false-negative rate. It demonstrates a retrocochlear lesion by an
increased latency between N1 and N5 waves. If the pure tone threshold hearing loss is greater than 70 dB,
the accuracy of audiometric testing is poor.
3. Vestibular investigations. Caloric responses are usually reduced in or absent from the affected side, but
there is no abnormality in some patients with small tumours. Special audiometric and vestibular testing are
now rarely, if ever, used for the diagnosis of an acoustic neuroma.

Differential diagnosis of a tumour at the cerebellopontine angle

1. Acoustic neuromas (constitute 80% of cerebellopontine angle tumours).

2. Meningioma.
3. Neuroma of the VIIth nerve.
4. Congenital cholesteatoma.
5. Aneurysm of the basilar or vertebral arteries.
6. Cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex.
7. Cerebellar tumour.

Management
The ideal management is a single stage total removal of the lesion, with preservation of all neural function
and with minimal morbidity and mortality. However, this ideal is not always possible. Each case must be
 ACOUSTIC NEUROMA 3

assessed on its own merits, with careful consideration of the age and general condition of the patient and the
size, site and rate of growth of the lesion.
1. Conservative management Small, slow-growing tumours in elderly patients can be watched by
carrying out CT or MRI scanning at regular intervals to gauge the rate of expansion. Annual MRI scans
show that around 60% of acoustic neuromas are not growing.
2. Radiosurgery or radiotherapy. These are popular treatments with patient self-help groups and are
increasingly advocated in the USA. Hyperfractionated stereotactic radiotherapy is considered by some to be
the primary treatment modality of choice. Stereotactic radiosurgery (gamma knife) has been applied to the
tumour margin to control growth. Opponents to this view argue that future microsurgery may be more
difficult and there is a theoretical risk of inducing malignant change.
3. Microsurgery. Removal of acoustic neuroma is associated most commonly with injury to the VIIth and
VIIIth cranial nerves. Cerebrospinal fluid leak (often down the Eustachian tube) and meningitis are also
relatively common. The morbidity and mortality from both tumour growth and its operative removal
increase with large tumours. A small tumour can be extracted from the meatus with negligible hazard and
preservation of the facial nerve. Early diagnosis and removal of these tumours should therefore be the rule.
There are three surgical approaches to the cerebellopontine angle and the choice depends on the position
and size of the tumour and preoperative assessment by the otoneurologist and neurosurgeon.
1. Translabyrinthine approach. This is the most common approach. The facial nerve can be preserved
but all hearing is lost. The approach tends to be used for patients with a severe sensorineural hearing loss
(less than 70% speech discrimination).
2. Middle fossa route. This gives a limited access and is usually used for small intrameatal tumours, but
an extended middle fossa approach can be used for larger ones. Hearing and the facial nerve can be
preserved. The main disadvantage is that there is a 15% risk of the patient developing epilepsy. In the UK,
driving is banned for 1 year following this procedure.
3. Retrosigmoid approach. This route is feasible when there is CSF between the lateral margin of the
tumour and the lateral margin of the IAM (cochlea). The patient’s hearing and facial nerve can be preserved,
so this approach is also used for tumours when there is good hearing.

Further reading

Chandler CL, Ramsden RT. Acoustic schwannoma. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 1993; 49(5): 3–16; 335–343.
Kveton JF. Evaluation and management of acoustic neuroma. Current Opinion in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck
Surgery, 1993; 1:53–63.
Brackmann D, Syms C. Tumours of the auditory-vestibular nerve. In: Ludman H, Wright T (eds) Diseases of the Ear,
6th edn. London: Arnold, 1998; 535–547.
Van Roijen L. Costs and effects of microsurgery versus radiosurgery in treating acoustic neuroma. Acta Neurochir 1997;
139:942–945.
Wilson J (ed). Effective Head and Neck Cancer Management. Second Consensus. British Association of
Otolaryngologists, Head and Neck Surgeons, 2000.

Related topics of interest

Evoked response audiometry, p. 78; Radiology in ENT, p. 257; Tinnitus, p. 327; Vertigo, p. 346; Vestibular
function tests, p. 350.
 ACUTE SUPPURATIVE OTITIS MEDIA

Definition
Otitis media is an inflammation of part or all of the mucosa of the middle-ear cleft, the collective term for
the eustachian tube, tympanic cavity, attic, aditus, antrum and mastoid air cells.

Classification
It may be classified as acute or chronic with the suffix suppurative or nonsuppurative. A third category,
‘specific otitis media’ has been used to describe tuberculous and syphilitic otitis media as it may present
acutely or chronically, with or without suppuration and a fourth category namely ‘adhesive otitis media’ has
been used to describe tympanosclerosis (hyaline degeneration and calcification) and adhesion formation
within the tympanic cavity but should more accurately be regarded as a sequelae of otitis media.

Acute suppurative otitis media (ASOM)

Aetiology
This is a bacterial disease caused by pus forming organisms, Streptococcus pneumoniae (40%),
Haemophilus influenzae (30%) and Branhamella (Moraxella) catarrhalis (10%) being the most commonly
implicated. It may occur as a primary or a secondary infection after a viral acute non-suppurative otitis
media. Bacteria enter the middle-ear cleft via the eustachian tube, a perforated tympanic membrane or more
rarely be blood-borne. Infants have a short, wide more horizontally placed eustachian tube, allowing
contamination from the regurgitation of feed and when actively vomiting. Teething increases the incidence
of infection. Poor sanitation and hygiene, overcrowding and malnutrition are predisposing factors. Children
aged 3–7 years have the highest incidence, direct extension from a bacterial or secondary to a viral upper
respiratory tract infection being the most common aetiological factor. Risk factors in all age groups are
recurrent or chronic rhinosinusitis, adenoiditis, chest disease and eustachian tube dysfunction. Causes of the
latter are nasopharyngeal tumours including adenoidal hypertrophy, abnormal eustachian patency, cleft
palate and submucous cleft palate. Pathogenic bacteria have been isolated from the nasopharynx in up to
97% of children with ASOM.
 ACUTE SUPPURATIVE OTITIS MEDIA 5

Clinical features
The two main symptoms are:

• Pain, which may increase rapidly in intensity to become deep and throbbing.
• Deafness, initially described as a blocked ear and secondary to Eustachian tube dysfunction.

Deafness progresses as suppuration occurs and both symptoms may rapidly improve if rupture of the
tympanic membrane produces a mucopurulent otorrhoea.
The initial event after infection is mucosal oedema causing Eustachian tube occlusion and a dull
tympanic membrane on examination. Hyperaemia rapidly follows and leashes of vessels may be seen
running along or parallel to the malleus handle. Soon radial vessels are visible on the drumhead and a
middle ear effusion occurs. The drumhead takes on a full (i.e. opposite to retraction), red, angry appearance
and pus may be seen bulging postero-inferiorly. Pressure necrosis of this region may cause the drumhead to
rupture allowing mucopus to drain into the external ear canal. Children are usually fretful with a high
pyrexia (> 39°C) and there may be signs of complications of ASOM.

Treatment

1. Rest in a warm, well humidified room.

2. Antibiotics in an adequate dose administered until resolution. Amoxicillin will cover the most common
pathogens provided the patient is not allergic to penicillin and the organisms are not resistant, the latter
occurring in about 14% of cases but resistance is increasing. In these circumstances, gleaned from
bacterial sensitivity studies or lack of clinical response, a -lactamase resistant antibiotic should be
chosen, for example coamoxiclav. Oral medication is adequate in the absence of complications.
3. Systemic and topical decongestants have a theoretical adjuvant role; they have not been proven to be of
significant value.
4. Conditions predisposing to ASOM should be treated on their own merit after resolution.

Complications

• Mucositis may progress to an osteomyelitis, namely acute mastoiditis, if the mastoid air cells are affected
and acute petrositis should the petrous apex become involved. Gradenigo’s syndrome, comprising signs
of ASOM, an ipsilateral abducent nerve palsy causing paralysis of the external rectus and pain in the
distribution of the ipsilateral trigeminal nerve, is a classic feature of petrositis. The respective cranial
nerves are only separated from the petrous apex by a layer of dura so that an extradural abscess or
pachymeningitis (meningitis extending to the dural layer) of this region from a generalized meningitis
may also cause the combined cranial nerve signs.
• Meningitis.
• Citelli’s abscess (a subperiosteal abscess which has spread through the medial aspect of the mastoid, into
the digastric fossa) or Bezold’s abscess (an abscess which has tracked inferiorly within the sheath of
sternomastoid to form a fluctuant mass along its anterior border).
• Extradural and subdural abscess.
• Cerebellar, temporal lobe and perisinus abscess.
6 OTOLARYNGOLOGY

• Lateral sinus thrombosis, rarely extending in an antegrade direction to thrombose the internal jugular
vein and in a retrograde direction causing a cavernous sinus thrombosis.
• Otitic hydrocephalus.
• Lower motor neurone facial nerve paralysis. The at-risk population (6%) are that group of patients with
a congenital dehiscence of the horizontal portion of the facial nerve.
• Serous and suppurative labyrinthitis.

Sequelae of ASOM

• Non-suppurative middle-ear effusion. These persist for over 30 days in 40% of children and for over 3
months in 10%.
• High-tone sensorineural hearing loss, perhaps secondary to bacterial toxins migrating across the round
window.
• Tympanic membrane perforation.
• Adhesions between the tympanic membrane, ossicles and the medial wall of the middle ear.
• Tympanosclerosis which may spread from the tympanic membrane to the ossicular chain, fixing the
latter.
• Erosion of the ossicular chain, in particular the long process of the incus, especially following recurrent
episodes of ASOM.
• Sequelae of ASOM complications.

Further reading

Haddad J Jr. Treatment of acute otitis media and its complications in pediatric otology. Otolaryngologic Clinics of
North America, 1994; 6:431–441.
Pichichero ME. Assessing the treatment alternatives for acute otitis media. Paediatric Infectious Diseases Journal,
1994; 13:27–34.
Stutman HR, Arguedas AG. Comparison of cefprozil with other antibiotic regimes in the treatment of children with
acute otitis media. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 1992; 14 (suppl 2): 204–208.

Related topics of interest

Tympanoplasty, p. 341; Cholesteatoma, p. 35; Chronic suppurative otitis media, p. 38; Chronic suppurative
otitis media—complications, p. 42.
 ADENOIDS

The adenoids are a mass of lymphoid tissue found at the junction of the roof and posterior wall of the
nasopharynx. They are a normal structure with a function in the production of antibodies (IgA, IgG and IgM).
The size of the adenoids varies, but in general they attain their maximum size between the ages of 3 and 8
years and then regress.

Pathology
Inflammation due to acute viral and bacterial infections results in hyperplasia with enlargement and
multiplication of the lymphoid follicles. Most of the pathological effects related to the adenoids are due to
this increase in size. The symptoms caused by hypertrophy result not from the actual size of the lymphoid mass,
but from the relative disproportion in size between the adenoids and the cavity of the nasopharynx. The
effect of the enlargement is to produce obstruction of the nasal airways and possibly obstruction of the
Eustachian tubes.

Clinical features
1. Nasal obstruction leads to mouth breathing, snoring and hyponasal speech. Infants may have difficulty in
feeding because they have to stop sucking intermittently to take a breath. Nasal discharge and postnasal drip
or catarrh may develop as a result of secondary chronic rhinitis and sinusitis. Besides snoring, some children
may suffer from episodes of sleep apnoea. The child with the ‘classic’ adenoid facies appearance (an open
lip posture, prominent upper incisors, a short upper lip, a thin nose and a hypoplastic maxilla with a high
arched palate) is rarely seen.
2. Eustachian tube obstruction may result in earache and deafness due to recurrent bouts of acute otitis
media and otitis media with effusion (glue ear).
The clinical features of adenoid hypertrophy are not always clear cut, and unfortunately the parents’ history
is not always reliable. Symptoms are frequently wrongly attributed to enlarged adenoids. In some children
examination of the nasopharynx with a postnasal mirror will identify large adenoids, but in many children it
is impossible to assess the adenoids in this way. Fibreoptic endoscopy is useful if tolerated by the child.

Investigations
The only reliable means of assessing the size of the adenoid is examination under general anaesthetic, but
some preoperative investigations may suggest enlargement. The most useful investigation is a lateral soft-
tissue radiograph. This will give a measure of the absolute size of the adenoids and an assessment of their
8 OTOLARYNGOLOGY

proportion in relation to the size of the airway. This is not always accurate and some children will still need
an examination of the postnasal space under general anaesthetic. If enlarged adenoids are present they can
then be curetted.

Indications for adenoidectomy

Generally speaking, an adenoidectomy is only indicated if troublesome symptoms can be attributed to
abnormal adenoid hypertrophy. The indications for adenoidectomy are as follows:

• Nasal obstruction.
• Otitis media with effusion (glue ear).
• Recurrent acute otitis media.
• Chronic rhinosinusitis.
• Sleep apnoea.

Contraindications for adenoidectomy

• Recent upper respiratory tract infection.

• An uncontrolled bleeding disorder.
• Cleft palate. The adenoids assist in closure of the nasopharynx from the oropharynx during speech and
deglutition. They should never be removed in a child who has had a cleft palate repair or a congenitally
short palate. All children who have a bifid uvula should have a submucous cleft excluded.

Complications

1. Immediate.

• Anaesthetic complications.
• Soft palate damage.
• Dislocation of the cervical spine.
• Reactionary haemorrhage.

2. Intermediate.

• Secondary haemorrhage.
• Subluxation of the atlanto-occipital joint (secondary to infection).

3. Late.

• Eustachian tube stenosis.

• Hypernasal speech (rhinolalia aperta).
• Persistence of symptoms.
 ADENOIDS 9

The most serious complication is reactionary haemorrhage. This is treated in the same manner as post-
tonsillectomy haemorrhage. The child should be returned to theatre and an attempt made to localize and
diathermy the bleeding point. A postnasal pack should be inserted if necessary. Hypernasal speech can be a
troublesome complication in some children. It often improves with time and speech therapy but may be
sufficiently severe to require a pharyngoplasty to correct the problem. It is less likely to occur if children
with palatal abnormalities are excluded from operation. Some surgeons advocate removal of the upper part
of the adenoid mass leaving a lower ridge of adenoid tissue against which the defective palate may continue
to make contact.

Follow-up and aftercare

In view of the problems with accurate diagnosis and the potential long-term complications it is worthwhile
reviewing adenoidectomy children in the outpatient clinic 6 months postoperatively.

Further reading

Hotaling AJ, Silva AB. Advances in adenotonsillar disease. Current Opinion in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck
Surgery, 1993; 1:177–184.
Potsic WP. Assessment and treatment of adenotonsillar hypertrophy in children. American Journal of Otolaryngology,
1992; 13:259–264.

Related topics of interest

Otitis media with effusion, p. 213; Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, p. 297; Tonsillectomy, p. 333;
Tonsil diseases, p. 330.
 ALLERGIC RHINITIS

Allergic rhinitis is an IgE-mediated, type 1 hypersensitivity reaction in the mucous membranes of the nasal
airways. The disease is very common, affecting approximately 30% of the Western population. It can be
either seasonal (summer hayfever) or perennial (sometimes with seasonal exacerbations).

Aetiology
Allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction of tissues to certain substances called allergens. The commonest
allergens are highly soluble proteins or glycoproteins with a molecular weight in the range of 10000–40000.
Typical allergens include pollens, moulds, house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and
D.forinae) and animal epithelia.

Pathogenesis
Immunoglobulin E is formed by plasma cells which are regulated by T-suppressor lymphocytes and T-
helper cells. In normal individuals this system maintains a constant function. In allergic patients the IgE T-
helper cells appear to promote overproduction at times of exposure to the allergen, or suppressor T cells
may not be functioning correctly. The IgE antibody is composed of an Fc and an Fab portion. The Fc
portion of IgE has an affinity for mast cells and basophils, which have receptors for the immunoglobulin on
their cell membrane. The Fab portion of IgE is free to combine with an allergen. The allergen is thought to
interact with two adjacent cellbound IgE antibody molecules, so forming a cross-link composed of IgE-
allergen-IgE. This triggers a chain of events with the synthesis and release of arachidonic acid metabolites
(prostaglandin D, leukotrienes and other chemotactic factors) and initiates disruption of the mast cell with
degranulation of lysosomes (releasing histamine, proteases and more chemotactic factors). The effect is that
capillaries become more permeable, the ground substance viscosity is reduced by enzymes such as
hyaluronidase, eosinophils infiltrate the tissues and oedema occurs. This produces the typical features of
vascular congestion, oedema, rhinorrhoea and irritation.

Clinical features
Seasonal rhinitis usually occurs any time from early summer to early autumn depending on the specific
allergen. The patient suffers from rhinorrhoea, nasal irritation and sneezing, associated with itchy and
watering eyes. Some individuals (described as atopic) will have a strong family history of allergy or a
previous history of eczema or asthma. Long-standing cases of perennial allergy may not display all these
features, but they often have nasal obstruction due to hypertrophy of the turbinates sometimes associated
 ALLERGIC RHINITIS 11

with hyposmia. Patients with perennial rhinitis are almost invariably allergic to house-dust mite and
typically have more than one allergy.
On examination, the nasal mucosa classically appears moist, pale and swollen, and the turbinates
hypertrophied. Sometimes the mucosa is red and the turbinates may have a blue hue. Polyps may be
present, but they are more often seen in intrinsic rhinitis.

Investigations
There are many investigations available, but clinically the most useful are the skin tests and plasma IgE
measurements.
1. Skin tests. The epidermal prick test and the intradermal injection test use an allergen placed on the skin
of the flexor aspect of the forearm. If the patient has an allergy to this then a wheal and flare will come up within
20 minutes. A negative control (carrier substance) and a histamine-containing solution (positive control) are
used to ensure that the patient is not allergic to the carrier substance and does react in the normal fashion to
histamine. A battery of common allergens (e.g. pollens, moulds, feathers, house dust mite, animal epithelia,
etc.) are compared with the controls by the wheal they produce. Specific substances can be used depending
on the history. If the patient is highly sensitive a widespread or even an anaphylactic reaction may result.
Resuscitation equipment must always be available although the epidermal prick test is safe if properly
performed. If an adverse reaction occurs, a tourniquet should be placed proximally to contain it and the
patient given intravenous hydrocortisone, chlorpheniramine (chlorphenamine) and adrenaline (epinephrine).
2. Blood tests. Total plasma IgE levels may be measured in the plasma radioimmunosorbent test (PRIST)
and IgE to specific allergens in the radioallergosorbent test (RAST). These tests are more convenient, do
not expose the patient to the risks of the skin tests and do not rely on the use of a specific allergen. However,
they are more expensive and have no diagnostic superiority over skin tests. An eosinophilia may occur in an
acute allergic reaction but is unusual in allergic rhinitis.
3. Nasal smears. An increase in eosinophils in a nasal smear indicates an allergic rhinitis but is not
diagnostic.
4. Provocation tests. A drop of the suspected allergen squeezed into the nose may cause symptoms
(rhinorrhoea, sneezing, etc.)- The effect can be measured objectively by rhinomanometry.

Management
1. Avoidance of the precipitating allergen is obviously helpful, but not always possible.
2. Oral antihistamines which selectively block histamine receptors, cause minimal or no drowsiness and
can be given once daily are now available (e.g. astemizole, cetirizine, fexofenadine, loratidine). Some
patients still prefer the older antihistamines which may cause drowsiness (e.g. chlorpheniramine and
triprolidine) and they should be warned of this. Intranasal antihistamine sprays (e.g. azelastine
hydrochloride) have the advantage of minimal systemic absorption.
3. Topical steroid sprays and drops are now considered to be the cornerstone in the treatment of rhinitis.
They are safe and effective. Crusting and bleeding are the main side-effects. Systemic absorption is negligible,
as is the chance of promoting fungal infections. Examples include fluticasone, mometasone, and
triamcinolone sprays.
4. Depot intramuscular injections of steroids (e.g. triamcinolone acetonide) should be reserved for when
symptoms interfere with special events (e.g. school examinations). Oral steroids are similarly indicated, but
only in short courses.
12 OTOLARYNGOLOGY

5. Topical anticholinergic drugs (e.g. ipratropium bromide) are useful in the treatment of patients in
whom rhinorrhoea is the predominant symptom.
6. Sodium cromoglycate stabilizes mast-cell membranes and therefore prevents the release of the allergic
response mediators. It has few side-effects, but needs to be used five to six times per day for adequate
prophylaxis, so compliance is poor. It works in relatively few people, but may be effective in children and
can be used for allergic conjunctivitis.
7. Desensitization involves a series of injections of small amounts of the proven allergens in a purified
form, in the hope that blocking IgG antibodies will be produced. It is really only of use in patients who are
sensitive to only one or two allergens, in particular pollen allergy. The main complication of this treatment
is anaphylaxis, and for this reason its use in the UK has been discouraged. Resuscitation equipment must
always be available where this therapy is performed, and in case of anaphylaxis there must be a supply of
intravenous hydrocortisone, chlorpheniramine and adrenaline.
8. Leukotriene synthesis inhibitors and receptor antagonists are not marketed for the treatment of
allergic rhinitis, but they show promise for the future treatment of the disease.
9. Surgical treatment has a role to play other than in symptom control, especially turbinate surgery when
there are symptoms of nasal obstruction.

Follow-up and aftercare

Most cases of allergic rhinitis can be managed by the patient’s general practitioner. If the offending allergen
is identified by any of the tests then the patient should be given general advice on avoidance. When there
are any nasal abnormalities (e.g. deflected nasal septum or turbinate hypertrophy) or concomitant disease of
the sinuses that complicate and exaggerate the symptoms of the rhinitis, they should be treated on their own
merit.

Further reading

Norman PS. Allergic rhinitis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 1985; 75:531–545.
Baroody FM. Developments in the drug treatment of allergic rhinitis. Current Opinion in Otolaryngology and Head and
Neck Surgery, 1998; 6:6–17.

Related topics of interest

Sinusitis, p. 285; Intrinsic rhinitis, p. 131.
 ANAESTHESIA—GENERAL
P.Charters

Principles
In providing general anaesthesia for ENT surgery an anaesthetist will aim to render a patient:

• unresponsive to the stress of the surgical stimulus;

• amnesic for the event;
• free from pain post-operatively.

Safety during the procedure depends on the pre-morbid medical state of the patient, effect of the anaesthetic
agents used and the particular requirements of the surgery. When surgery involves the airway itself, the
anaesthetist must ensure continuous patency and adequate measures to deal with any contamination (e.g.
blood or infected material). Liaison between the surgeon and anaesthetist is mandatory to anticipate and
minimize critical operative events.

Pre-operative assessment
Most ENT surgery can be regarded as relatively superficial procedures performed on fit young patients. At
the other extreme, there are also quite lengthy procedures performed on rather infirm elderly subjects.
Upper airway tumours are associated with longstanding cigarette consumption and patients who have
already suffered for many years from chronic pulmonary and cardiovascular disease. In these cases a
thorough medical workup will assess risk and potential for improvement prior to surgery. Optimization of
pulmonary function may be helped with pre-operative physiotherapy and medications review, especially
bronchodilators. Cardiovascular workup may require referral for left ventricular function assessment by
echocardiography and exercise tests in angina patients. Nutritional correction by naso-gastric or parentral
feeding may substantially improve pre-operative status of patients with swallowing difficulty. Airway
assessment by clinical, fibreoptic and radiological imaging should involve the anaesthetist in that the
appropriate measures for operative management should be planned rather than haphazard as a result of
insufficient information. Obstructive sleep symptoms and a history of nocturnal apnoeas are easily overlooked
on routine clerking. It is important to determine pre-operatively which patients should be singled out for
post-operative oximetry monitoring and the setting most appropriate for their nursing care.
Routine haematological and biochemical investigations are generally limited to the following:
14 OTOLARYNGOLOGY

• FBC (females of menstrual age; patients over 60 years; prior to major operations; after significant blood
loss).
• U&E (patients over 60 years; prior to major operations; patients with diabetes, renal or hepatic
impairment, hypertension, or on medications such as diuretics and anti-hypertensives).
• ECG (patients over 60 years; cardiac symptoms including palpitations and fainting).
• Chest radiography (patients with cardio-respiratory symptoms; cancer screening especially in patients
with upper airway tumours).

These guidelines are modified for the less well patient. Urea and electrolytes are mandatory when deliberate
hypotension is to be part of the anaesthetic technique. Medical treatments should be optimised
preoperatively. Steroid cover is required when patients have received steroids in the past 12 months and
antibiotic prophylaxis for patients with valvular heart disease. Hospitals normally have prescribed protocols
for peri-operative care of diabetic subjects.

Premedication
Premedication may be used to reduce anxiety and decrease the incidence of nausea and vomiting. A
benzodiazepine with an anti-emetic is a suitable combination, although patients with a compromised airway
should not be sedated and appropriate reassurance may be an alternative. Oral sedative agents are often used
in children and local anaesthetic cream (e.g. EMLA, a eutectic mixture of local anaesthetic: lignocaine 2.5%
with prilocaine 2.5%) is applied to potential venepuncture sites under an occlusive dressing.
Anticholinergics may be given as an anti-sialogogue, glycopyrolate being the best as it causes less
tachycardia and does not cross the blood-brain barrier thus avoiding confusion. They are not given if
hypotension is required as the resulting tachycardia antagonizes this effect.

Anaesthetic agents and technique

The usual intravenous agents to induce anaesthesia are thiopentone, etomidate and propofol. These drugs
are all short-acting and it is usual to continue anaesthesia by a volatile anaesthetic agent, e.g. enflurane,
isoflurane or desflurane in a mixture of nitrous oxide in oxygen. Induction of anaesthesia by breathing
volatile anaesthetic agents remains common in paediatric practice where halothane and sevoflurane are
usually preferred. Pharmacological muscle paralysis is not usually mandatory for ENT surgery but can be
used to facilitate tracheal intubation and to lessen the requirement for ‘deep anaesthesia’ with volatile
agents alone. Use of muscle relaxants in patients with difficult airways can lead to disaster when patients
are rendered apnoeic and assisted ventilation is not possible. Patients at risk of aspiration or gastric contents
on induction of anaesthesia usually have a rapid induction sequence with cricoid pressure applied. Total
intravenous anaesthesia’ refers to techniques where the use of inhalation agents are avoided and drugs
combinations such as propofol and remifentanil (a very short acting opiate) are administered by infusion
pump.

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

This has been in use for 120 years as a general anaesthetic. It is 35 times more soluble in blood than
nitrogen, and thus diffuses into air-containing spaces such as the middle ear, leading to an increase in
pressure. This is maximal after 40 min of anaesthesia and is implicated in the adverse positioning of grafts,
 ANAESTHESIA—GENERAL 15

altered appearance of the tympanic membrane and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Nitrous oxide may
be excluded by substituting air or by total intravenous anaesthesia. It has been suggested that packing the
middle ear during surgery reduces the clinical significance of nitrous oxide-induced pressure changes.

Induced hypotension
This can reduce blood loss during head and neck operations. It may result in cerebral or myocardial ischaemia
and renal or hepatic hypoperfusion. It is contraindicated in patients with coexisting hypertension, ischaemic
heart disease, previous cerebrovascular accident, pregnancy, anaemia, hypovolaemia or impaired renal or
hepatic function.
Techniques of inducing hypotension include:

• the prevention of anxiety-related tachycardia by good premedication;

• the avoidance of hypertension during laryngoscopy and intubation;
• volatile agent-induced vasodilatation;
• the use of head-up positioning to encourage venous drainage from the operative site.

Specific drugs used to induce hypotension include:

• sodium nitroprusside, which directly dilates arterioles and venules;

• glyceryl trinitrate, which dilates capacitance vessels;
• trimetaphan, which releases histamine, blocks ganglia and directly reduces peripheral vascular
resistance;
• labetolol, which reduces arteriolar tone (by its alpha-blocking effect) and heart rate (by its beta-blocker
effect, useful in preventing the reflex tachycardia seen in response to hypotension).

Large-bore intravenous access (to allow fluid correction of precipitous fall in blood pressure) and an arterial
cannula for direct blood pressure monitoring are required if profound hypotension is to be induced. This is
however, rarely, if ever, warranted in ENT surgery.

Per-operative monitoring
Apart from recommended minimum standards (HR, ECG, non-invasive BP and pulse oximetry), major
operations will usually require invasive blood pressure monitoring, central venous cannulation and bladder
catheterization. This should also apply when hypotensive anaesthesia is planned. Blood loss measurement
peroperatively often simply involves weighing swabs and measurement of the suction container. Ideal post-
operative haemoglobin is a compromise between a low haemoglobin (e.g. 8 mg per 100 ml) which favours
blood flow through free flaps versus higher levels which may improve oxygen delivery.

Care of the airway

The airway can be a particular problem in ENT operations and difficulties may be due to:

• morphological derangement;
• soiling (by blood or infected material);
16 OTOLARYNGOLOGY

• surgery to alter the airway itself (e.g. laryngeal laser surgery and tumour debulking).

In all these situations the most important aspect is that the anaesthetist be as fully informed of the situation
as possible pre-operatively. Where a patient presents acutely in a state of distress, relief of symptoms should
be considered while determining what investigations are feasible. Helium and oxygen mixtures may relieve
symptoms as may bronchodilators and nebulised adrenalin. Anxiety can potentiate as well as result from
respiratory difficulty and reassurance may help but even small dose of anxiolytic can induce respiratory
arrest.
Surgery for abscesses involving part of the upper airway must always be seen in context. Antibiotics
alone may resolve some situations and good drainage will usually only be effective in well organised
abscess cavities. External drainage under local anaesthesia may be appropriate and normally negates the risk
of airway contamination. Where airway instrumentation does need to be considered, good radiological
imaging may delineate precise morphological changes and also indicate where the abscess wall is thinnest
and in danger of disruption.
Acute airway obstruction usually means that the patient presents with an airway that is not severely
narrowed, i.e. even with mild stridor a 4-mm microlaryngoscopy tube can usually be advanced into the
trachea. However, when airway obstruction has been longstanding (weeks or months), adaptation over time
may mean that very small airways are encountered. In young children and adults less than 30 years of age,
pinhole glottis narrowing is not infrequently encountered. The nature of the relevant pathology is important
because chronic obstruction tends to be a relatively ‘solid’ processes (e.g. fibrosis following radiation
treatment, sessile ulcerative tumour and granulation/deposition diseases). By comparison, acute obstruction
is usually associated with a more ‘fluidic’ processes such as friable or cystic tumours, oedema, infection or
haemorrhage into normal or abnormal tissue.
Management of these cases does depend on the experience of the doctors concerned. Tracheotomy under
local anaesthesia is commonly regarded as a final fallback position but success may be difficult in an
extremely restless patient who is fighting for breath. It should also be remembered that there is no guarantee
that the trachea and in particular the subglottis will be free of pathology when there has been little time for
formal investigations. Because the view with a fibreoptic laryngoscope can be quite restricted, the endoscopist
needs to have a good general idea as to where to expect to find the relevant anatomical landmarks.
Experience will guide in the choice as to whether or not awake fibreoptic laryngoscopy should be
considered. Patient co-operation is important when sedation is inadvisable. When general anaesthesia is
considered necessary the anaesthetist will usually consider techniques which allow sedation to be gradually
increased. In the case of the airway worsening, the sedation can then be lightened and if necessary the
patient is woken up. If the airway pathology is not a relative contraindication, the use of airway devices
such as the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and cuffed oro-pharyngeal airway (COPA) may help to control
the immediate airway difficulty. Then either can be used as a means to tracheal intubation using an
exchange catheter (e.g. the Aintree intubation catheter) over a fibreoptic laryngoscope.
Airway debulking is a particular problem for the anaesthetist. This is used in patients presenting with
acute airway obstruction where the immediate surgical aim is to improve the airway and acquire histology
before considering formal treatment. This usually proceeds shortly after the histology becomes available.
Tumours that are papilliferous are easier to debulk than sessile ulcers. Bleeding after surgery is possible as
is the risk of laryngeal oedema. The surgeon and anaesthetist need to agree on a suitable end point for this
surgery, i.e. when the airway will be adequate in the post-operative period. Surgical debulking may be
augmented by intravenous steroids and antibiotics. Post-operative care needs to be in an environment where
the nursing and medical staff are aware of the risk of post-operative problems and their management.
 ANAESTHESIA—GENERAL 17

Laser surgery carries a risk of an airway fire after ignition of the tracheal tube or the fresh gas mixture.
The tracheal tube should be flexo-metallic, wrapped in aluminium foil or laser-proof. The tracheal tube cuff
is filled with saline or preformed with foam. If airway fire occurs, the surgery must be discontinued and
ventilation stopped until the fire is extinguished with a pre-filled syringe of saline. The tracheal tube should
then be replaced, the patient ventilated with 100% oxygen, a bronchoscopy performed, steroids commenced
and antibiotics and prolonged ventilatory support provided as necessary.

Related topics of interest

Anaesthesia—local, p. 19; Hypopharyngeal carcinoma, p. 124; Laryngeal carcinoma p. 138; Paediatric
airway problems, p. 232; Stridor and stertor, p. 311; Tracheostomy, p. 336.
 ANAESTHESIA—LOCAL
P.Charters

Mode of Action
Local anaesthetic (LA) agents produce a reversible block in the transmission of impulses along nerve fibres.
They vary in terms of potency, toxicity, water solubility, ability to penetrate mucous membranes and
duration of action. When applied to different sites their efficacy is influenced by these properties and the
local blood supply can have implications for both duration of action and liability to toxic effects. Removal
from the site of action tends to be by the circulation, diffusion, metabolism or dilution which reduce local
tissue concentration of the LA to restore nerve function. Local anaesthetics are weak bases and the degree
of ionization depends on the individual drug’s pKa and the surrounding pH. At a low pH, more of the drug
remains in the ionized form, preventing it from diffusing across the axonal membrane and therefore
reducing efficacy.

Classification
There are two broad classes of LA:

• esters (e.g. benzocaine, cocaine and procaine);

• amides (e.g. lignocaine, prilocaine, bupivacaine, ropivacaine and levobupivacaine).

Complications
Complications associated with the use of local anaesthesia may not be common but can be life threatening
and for this reason their use should be restricted to areas where resuscitation facilities are to hand.
1. Toxicity. This depends on the dose of the agent and speed of uptake into the circulation. Where the
circulation is poor or when vasoconstrictors (e.g. adrenaline) are administered with the LA, larger doses can
be tolerated. For ENT surgery, toxicity most commonly results from inadvertent direct intravascular
injection or rapid absorption via mucous membranes and toxicity from any concomitant vasoconstrictor is
likely. The blood supply may be increased in infected tissue where the choice of local anaesthesia must be
questioned. Manifestations of toxicity usually start during drug administration or very shortly afterwards.
They include:

• CNS: lightheadedness, perioral paraesthesia, slurred speech, tinnitus, facial twitching, convulsions and
coma.
 ANAESTHESIA—LOCAL 19

• CVS: bradycardia, hypotension and cardiac arrest.

• RS: an initial increase in respiratory rate followed by respiratory depression, hypoxia and respiratory
arrest.

If any of these symptoms occur during the injection, drug administration should be stopped immediately and
the situation assessed. Toxic effects are usually self-limiting but fitting and cardiovascular collapse should
be treated with oxygen administration. CPR may be required. Longer acting drugs (e.g. bupivacaine) can
have a prolonged effect on the heart, necessitating prolonged cardiac massage. Anyone who has had a
severe reaction should be observed on a High Dependency or Intensive Care Unit to monitor cardiovascular
and renal function even when immediate recovery appears complete.
2. Allergic reactions. The onset of a reaction is more immediate and more severe with inadvertent
intravenous administration. Reactions are more common with esters than amides. Clinical manifestations
include cardiovascular collapse, bronchospasm, generalized (and laryngeal) oedema and there may be an
urticarial rash. The airway should be secured and the subject positioned horizontally. Cardiopulmonary
collapse requires ventilation with 100% oxygen, IV fluids and adrenaline 1:10000 in 1 ml aliquots.
Bronchodilators may be required. Antihistamines should be considered and if hypotension and
bronchospasm persist steroids should also be considered. Continuing care (or observation and monitoring in
the case of apparent recovery) in ICU or HDU is mandatory.

Specific LA agents
1. Cocaine. An ester hydrolysed by plasma cholinesterases. It has vasoconstrictive properties and is rapidly
effective on mucous membranes. It potentiates catecholamine activity and sensitizes the myocardium to
adrenaline. Concern about toxicity has recently restricted its availability to a 10% spray used topically to
facilitate nasal surgery. Maximum dose 1.5 mg/kg or total 100 mg in a fit adult. Duration of action: 30–60
min.
2. Lignocaine. An amide metabolized in the liver. It is available in injectable form as 0.5–2%, sprays as
4% or 10% and ointments of 2–5%. It is a mild vasodilator and is often given with a vasopressor, e.g.
adrenaline 1:200000. Maximum dose: 3 mg/kg or 7 mg/kg with adrenaline. Duration of action (when
infiltrated): 90 min without adrenaline.
3. Prilocaine. An amide with no vasodilating effect and lower systemic toxicity. Metabolism to o-
toluidine may cause methaemoglobinaemia. Maximum dose: 5 mg/kg or 7 mg/kg with adrenaline. Duration
of action: 140 min.
4. Bupivacaine. A vasodilating amide with a long duration, useful for postoperative analgesia. At toxic
levels cardiac events, especially ventricular fibrillation, may precede neurological events. Max dose: 2 mg/
kg or 3 mg/kg with adrenaline. Duration of action: 240 min without adrenaline.
5. Ropivacaine. A single isomer and propyl homologue of bipivacaine (itself a racemic mixture). Levo
isomers of amide local anaesthetics in general tend to have lower potential for systemic toxicity than the
dextro forms. Ropivacaine is said to produce less motor block for the equivalent sensory block to
bupivacaine. The dosages are similar.
6. Levobupivacaine. The single levo isomer of bupivacaine which has been shown to have less systemic
toxic effects. The sensory block lasts longer than that with bupivacaine used in similar dosages.
20 OTOLARYNGOLOGY

Vasoconstrictors
Combined with a LA agent these reduce the risk of systemic toxicity and intraoperative bleeding and
prolong the duration of action. Vasopressors are contraindicated in patients with ischaemic heart disease,
hypertension or thyrotoxicosis and in those on monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Halothane, a volatile
anaesthetic agent, sensitises the myocardium to adrenaline and concomitant use is better avoided.
Vasopressors are contraindicated in sites supplied by end arteries. Phenylephrine (0.5%) is a used topically
in the nose and is also available combined with lignocaine.

Local anaesthetic uses in ENT surgery

1. Nose. LA used on its own or combined with general anaesthesia.

(a) Modified Moffet’s technique. The nasal cavities are sprayed with LA and the patient placed supine with
the head extended over the end of the trolley. A 2-ml volume of 5% cocaine is applied to each nasal
cavity using a specially angulated cannula. After 10 min the nose is pinched and any remaining solution
removed.
(b) Nasal pack. After applying LA to the nasal cavity, ribbon gauze soaked in LA is packed into the nose
and left for 10 min. After removal of the pack, two wool applicators soaked in LA are applied, one to
the region of the sphenopalatine foramen and the other to the anterior end of the cribriform plate.
Additional anaesthesia may be supplied by anterior ethmoidal or maxillary nerve blocks or by
infiltration of the columella.

2. Pharynx, larynx and trachea. LA is used for direct laryngoscopy or awake intubation. The oropharynx
is anaesthetized by spraying or nebulizing 4% lignocaine, or using a benzocaine lozenge. When using a
fibreoptic bronchoscope LA is sprayed as the scope is advanced. Alternatively, the following blocks
may be used:

(a) Superior laryngeal nerve.

• Krause’s method—a swab soaked in 4% lignocaine is held, by Krause’s forceps, in each piriform
fossa for 1 min.
• Percutaneous—2 ml of LA is injected where the nerve divides at the greater cornu of the hyoid.

(b) Cricothyroid injection. A 2-ml volume of 4% lignocaine is injected via the cricothyroid ligament after
aspiration of air to confirm needle placement. A small intravenous cannula with the needle removed
avoids needle stick injury to the posterior tracheal wall during the coughing on injection.

Anaesthesia for tracheostomy is by field infiltration with progressive supplementation. An initial

cricothyroid injection can reduce coughing when the trachea is incised.

3. Ear. Infiltration may be supplemented by:

(a) Auriculotemporal nerve block—2 ml of lignocaine is injected anterior to the meatus.

 ANAESTHESIA—LOCAL 21

(b) Greater auricular nerve block—2 ml of lignocaine is injected 2 cm both anterior and posterior to the tip
of the mastoid.

Related topic of interest

Anaesthesia—general, p. 14.
 BENIGN NECK LUMPS

Classification

(a) Congenital (defined as present at birth): lymphangiomas, dermoids, thyroglossal cysts.

(b) Developmental: branchial cysts, laryngoceles, pharyngeal pouches.
(c) Tumours of the parapharyngeal space.
(d) Thyroid swellings.
(e) Salivary gland tumours.
(f) Reactive neck lymphadenopathy.
(g) Neck space infection.

The last four groups above are discussed as separate topics elsewhere in the book. This chapter describes
congenital, developmental and parapharyngeal-space lumps.

Congenital

Lymphangiomas
There are three types of lymphangioma: simple (thin walled channels), cavernous (dilated lymphatic
spaces), and cystic hygroma (cysts of varying sizes). Simple and cavernous lesions arise principally in the
lips, cheek and floor of the mouth. Cystic hygromas usually arise in the lower neck. Treatment is by
surgical excision. Injection of sclerosants and radiotherapy have been suggested but are not recommended.

Dermoid cysts
These are midline swellings that do not move with swallowing or tongue protrusion. There are three types:

1. Epidermoid cysts, lined only with squamous epithelium.

2. True dermoids lined with squamous epithelium and all other normal skin appendages.
3. Teratoid cysts are lined by respiratory or squamous epithelium and contain ectodermal, endodermal and
mesodermal elements, for example teeth, nails or thyroid tissue.
 BENIGN NECK LUMPS 23

Thyroglossal cysts
These are cysts along the tract of the obliterated thyroglossal duct. They may contain elements of thyroid
tissue and may even be the sole source of functioning thyroid tissue. Many experts therefore recommend a
99mTc or radio iodine (131I) uptake scan prior to excision, although an ultrasound scan is less invasive and

will allow confirmation of whether there is a normal gland present. Ninety per cent of thryoglossal cysts are
midline and 9% left-sided, occurring between the body of the hyoid bone and the cricoid cartilage. Most
occur in childhood (mean age 4 years). They move with swallowing and tongue protrusion as they are
ultimately attached on their deep aspect to the larynx. Infection causes the rapid onset of diffuse swelling,
pain and tenderness. Thyroglossal cysts should not be incised and drained as this may cause an ugly sinus
which is difficult to excise in toto and in continuity with the deflated cyst. A long course of antibiotics and
repeat aspiration of the cyst, if the child allows, are recommended. The tract may climb anterior or posterior
to the body of the hyoid to the tongue base. The body of the hyoid and preferably a wedge of tongue base
should therefore be included in the excision of the cyst (Sistrunk’s Procedure). Following this procedure the
recurrence rate varies from 2% to 8%. If the hyoid body is not removed the recurrence rate rises to 85%.

Developmental

Branchial cysts
Four theories regarding aetiology have been proposed:

1. They arise from elements of squamous epithelium within a lymph node. This is the current consensus
view.
2. They arise from remnants of the first pharyngeal pouch.
3. They are remnants of the cervical sinus.
4. They are remnants of the duct connecting the thymus to the third pharyngeal pouch.

Branchial cysts are lined by stratified squamous epithelium and contain lymphoid tissue in their wall. They
usually present in young adults, 60% on the left and 60% in males. Most arise along the line of the deep
cervical lymph nodes deep to the anterior border of sternomastoid at the junction of its upper third and
lower two thirds. Diagnosis is by clinical examination and from fine needle aspiration biopsy. In a patient
over the age of 40 years a metastatic node must be excluded. A quarter of branchial cysts become infected
and should be managed similarly to an infected thyroglossal cyst. Excision should only be attempted when
all inflammation has settled to minimize the risk of rupturing the cyst wall, which may lead to a recurrence
or, if wall remnants are left, a fistula.

Laryngocele
Only about 30 occur each year in the UK, 80% in men with a mean age of 55. They arise from the laryngeal
saccule, expanding internally to present in the vallecula or externally through the thyrohyoid membrane. In
most subjects raising the intralaryngeal pressure causes no expansion of the saccule. In those in whom the
saccule expands, perhaps because of a wider than usual true cord to false cord distance (wide neck) or
because the false cord is compressed against the saccule to create a one-way valve, coughing, sneezing or
24 OTOLARYNGOLOGY

trumpet playing may fully develop the laryngocele. They are occasionally associated with a ventricular
carcinoma.
An intermittent neck swelling is the usual presentation, perhaps with hoarseness, cough or pain. It is
usually impalpable but may become both visible and palpable on performing the Valsalva manoeuvre.
Indirect laryngoscopy may reveal fullness of the ipsilateral false cord. Plain anteroposterior and lateral neck
radiographs may show an air-filled sac. Laryngoceles may obstruct the larynx, so the safest treatment is
excision, which includes the upper half of thyroid cartilage on the side of the laryngocele so that its neck
can be ligated.

Tumours of the parapharyngeal space

This space is described in Neck space infection (p. 188).
Parapharyngeal tumours expand either medially, when the tonsil will be displaced towards the midline, or
laterally to present in the upper deep cervical region. It is therefore important to exclude a metastatic node
as a cause of the swelling. However, the common tumours are:

• Lipomas.
• Parotid deep lobe tumours.
• Neurogenous tumours.
• Carotid aneurysm.

Parotid tumours are the commonest and are discussed elsewhere (see Related topics).
Neurogenous tumours develop from neural crest cells which have differentiated into Schwann cells or
sympathicoblasts. Schwann cells give rise to neurofibromas and schwannomas, the sympathicoblasts to
ganglioneuromas and chemodectomas (carotid body tumours, glomus vagale and glomus jugulare tumours).

(a) Neurofibromas arise from endoneural fibrous connective tissue and are composed of a mass of spindle
cells which can entwine nerve fibres, sometimes causing weakness or paralysis of the involved nerve.
(b) Schwannomas are benign tumours of the neurolemma or sheath of Schwann and so tend to be
encapsulated. Their expansion may compress the involved nerve, giving rise to reduced function, but
paralysis is unusual. In the parapharyngeal space a painless neck mass is usually the only sign.
(c) Chemodectomas arise from paraganglionic tissue at three common sites in the neck. On the medial side
of the carotid bulb are found highly vascular tumours arising from the carotid body cells; these carotid
body tumours are rare except in high-altitude population centres such as Mexico City. Vagal
paragangliomas arise from paraganglionic tissue within the perineurium of the vagus, the glomus
vagale tumour, which, if it involves the ganglion nodosum just below the jugular foramen, is referred to
as a glomus jugulare. The cells are not functionally active. Patients present with a slow-growing
painless lump in the neck or a mass pushing the tonsil medially, although with the vagal nerve
paragangliomas pulsating, tinnitus, syncope, and glossopharyngeal, vagal, accessory and hypoglossal
nerve palsies may arise if the tumour expands at the skull base. Carotid body tumours may be pulsatile
with an audible bruit. Malignant change rarely, if ever, occurs in chemodectomas of these three sites.
Occasional reports of metastases in the literature may be confusing a chemodectoma with a large-cell
neuroendocrine carcinoma. Chemodectomas may occur rarely at other sites, particularly the larynx.
 BENIGN NECK LUMPS 25

A carotid aneurysm may be caused by atheroma, trauma or infection. If expanding or causing transient
ischaemic attacks, it can be resected and replaced with a reversed saphenous vein graft.

Investigations
An MRI scan will delineate the position and assess the size and vascularity of the mass. If a carotid body
tumour is suspected a digital subtraction angiogram will allow precise definition of the tumour circulation,
its principal feeding vessels and the presence of a cross-circulation, all of which must be known prior to
surgery. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy, if necessary under CT guidance, may allow a definite diagnosis to
be made. Under no circumstance should either a Tru-cut biopsy or a biopsy from within the mouth be
attempted because the vascularity of a carotid body tumour may cause a rapidly expanding parapharyngeal
haematoma which might occlude the oropharyngeal airway.

Treatment
The mass will as a rule continue to expand so that symptoms may progress. A tissue diagnosis may not be
possible. For these reasons, surgery is the treatment of choice for parapharyngeal tumours. The
parapharyngeal space can be approached by either a transcervical, transparotid or transmandibular route.
The vagus and the hypoglossal nerves are at risk of injury. There is also a small, but definite, risk of stroke
from surgery. A significant proportion of young patients will refuse surgery if presented with all the facts.
Recent publications have suggested that carotid body tumours may be radiosensitive and radiotherapy may
be indicated either as adjuvant treatment or in those unfit or unwilling to have surgery.

Follow-up and aftercare

Review of all parapharyngeal mass patients postoperatively for 5 years, except those who had a lipoma, is
indicated. Glossopharyngeal and vagal nerve injury may give rise to aspiration and a hoarse voice, although
symptoms gradually settle, especially if an experienced speech therapist is involved in rehabilitation. A
vocal cord palsy is treated as discussed elsewhere (see Related topics of interest).

Further reading

Ferlito A, Pesavento G, Recher G et al. Assessment and treatment of neurogenic and non-neurogenic tumours of the
parapharyngeal space. Head and Neck Surgery, 1984; 7:32–43.
Jackson CG, Harris PF, Glasscock ME et al Diagnosis and management of paragangliomas of the skull base. American
Journal of Surgery, 1990; 159:389–393.
Wilson J (ed). Effective Head and Neck Cancer Management. Second Consensus. British Association of
Otolaryngologists, Head and Neck Surgeons, 2000.

Related topics of interest

Neck space infection, p. 188; Vocal cord palsy, p. 354; Salivary gland neoplasms, p. 274; Salivary gland
diseases, p. 271.
 CALORIC TESTS

Physiology
The semicircular canals are paired sensory structures responsible for the detection of angular acceleration.
Each canal possesses a dilation at one end called the ampulla. Within the ampulla exists a saddle-shaped
crista upon which sits a gelatinous cupula; the whole membranous canal is filled with endolymph. The
inertia of the endolymphatic fluid means that there is a relative difference in the velocity of the canal and
the fluid with head movements. This results in fluid being forced through the gap between crista and cupula
and a deflection of the stereocilia which causes either an increase or decrease in the resting tonic discharge
depending on the direction of deflection. The two labyrinths work in conjunction so that an increase in
neural signals from one canal will be associated with a decreased discharge rate from the corresponding
canal on the opposite side. As the three canals are mutually at right angles, complex three-dimensional
information is provided.

Background
The caloric response can be used to test the integrity of this system and was first described by Robert
Barany in 1906 and for which he was awarded a Nobel prize in 1914. He postulated that altering the
temperature of the endolymph sets up thermally induced convection currents. This fluid movement leads to
stimulation of the stereocilia and consequent nystagmus and vertigo. Caloric testing was further refined in
1942 by Fitzgerald and Hallpike when they described a standardized bithermal caloric test which remains an
essential vestibular investigation to this day.
It has become apparent in recent years that thermal convection currents are not the only component in the
caloric response. Positional alterations and the presence of a caloric response in microgravity have led to
suggestions that a direct thermal effect on the sensory organs may account for as much as one-third of the
response, although this in no way reduces the value of the test.

Procedure
The classic bithermal calorics utilize water at 30 and 44°C, kept at these temperatures in two heated tanks
about 1 metre above the test couch. The patient reclines on the couch at 30° above the horizontal so as to
bring the lateral semicircular canal into the vertical position. After checking that the external canals are
clear of wax and debris and that the tympanic membranes are intact, cold water (30°C) is run into the left
ear, via a siphon tube and 14G cannula, for 40 seconds. A stopwatch is used to time the period from the
 CALORIC TESTS 27

start of this manoeuvre to the point at which the nystagmus stops with the patient fixating on a point on the
ceiling. This procedure is repeated for the right ear and then for both ears with the warm water (44°C).
A number of variations on this basic theme exist. Cold tap water can be used as a very basic single
temperature screening test, and in patients with perforated eardrums air may be used to supply the thermal
stimulus. Further refinements can be added by the use of Frenzel’s glasses to remove optic fixation or
measuring the nystagmus electrically (electronystagmography).

Interpretation
By definition, the direction of the nystagmus is described by its fast phase. Cold stimulation leads to
nystagmus with the fast phase to the opposite side, while warm stimulation leads to nystagmus with the fast
phase to the same side. This is easily remembered by the mnemonic COWS (cold-opposite, warm-same).
Various formulae exist, based on the recorded times for each part of the standard caloric test, to predict
the degree of vestibular activity. The most common abnormalities found are canal paresis or directional
preponderance (or a combination of the two). By the nature of the test a canal paresis or directional
preponderance must be greater than 20–25% to be significant.

• Unilateral canal paresis denotes that the response of one side to hot and cold stimuli is reduced or absent
compared with the opposite side. This finding invariably implies a lesion of the peripheral vestibular
system (e.g. horizontal canal or vestibular nerve on that side). Exceptions to this include patients with
lesions at the vestibular nerve-root entry-zone of the brainstem (e.g. multiple sclerosis or lateral
brainstem infarction), in which there is central pathology and also a canal paresis.
• A directional preponderance denotes a non-specific enhancement of nystagmus in one particular
direction. It suggests pathology, but is usually non-localizing (may arise from any part of the peripheral
or central vestibular system). It may be localizing with some peripheral lesions, when directional
preponderance is usually directed away from the diseased ear.

Clinical indications
Caloric testing forms the cornerstone of investigation for any vestibular pathology and is therefore useful in
all patients with vertigo. Although MRI scans are now the investigation of choice for an acoustic neuroma,
caloric tests may still be of some value, as the tumour usually arises from the superior vestibular nerve and
leads to an ipsilateral canal paresis.

Further reading

Luxon LM. Comparison of caloric nystagmus by observation of duration and by electronystagmographic measurement
of slow-phase velocity. British Journal of Audiology, 1995; 29:107–116.
Stahle J. Controversies on the caloric response. Acta Otolaryngologica, 1990; 109:162–167.

Related topics of interest

Acoustic neuroma, p. 1; Vertigo, p. 346; Labrynthitis, p. 134; Vestibular function tests, p. 350.
 CERVICAL LYMPHADENOPATHY

Cervical lymphadenopathy implies disease involving the cervical lymph nodes. In this topic a simple
differential of these diseases is presented, but specific details are found elsewhere (see Benign neck lumps,
p. 23). The remainder of the chapter is confined to the problem of neck node metastases. A primary
carcinoma arising in the upper aerodigestive tract may metastasize to the lymph nodes of the neck. Cervical
node status is one of the most important prognostic factors in the head and neck cancer patient. In a patient
with positive nodal disease, the usual expected survival rate for any specific primary tumour is reduced by
one half. Therefore, control of regional metastatic disease constitutes a significant part of the management of
head and neck cancer.

Differential diagnosis
Most cervical masses fall into one of four broad groups:

1. Congenital or developmental (thyroglossal, branchial and dermoid cysts).

2. Infectious (tonsillitis, infectious mononucleosis, tuberculosis, actinomycosis, HIV).
3. Inflammatory (sarcoidosis).
4. Neoplastic (primary arising from neck structures, metastatic secondaries, haematogenous).

The diagnosis is from the history, examination including endoscopy, radiology and laboratory tests. The
specific investigations will be dictated by the differential diagnosis. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology
is probably the single most useful diagnostic procedure if a neoplastic lymph node is suspected. False-
negative and, very rarely, false-positive results can occur with FNA, so the information must always be used
in conjunction with the clinical findings. An ultra-sound scan (with USS guided FNA) or MRI scan may
delineate impalpable nodes. The scans can also reveal the integrity or involvement of the vasculature by a
metastatic lymph node. A chest radiograph may show a primary carcinoma or evidence of secondary
spread, as well as pulmonary tuberculosis or mediastinal gland enlargement

Anatomy
The following definitions are recommended for the boundaries of cervical lymph node groups.

• Level I. Consists of the submental and submandibular lymph nodes within the triangle bounded by the
anterior belly of the digastric, the hyoid bone, the posterior belly of digastric and the body of the
mandible.
 CERVICAL LYMPHADENOPATHY 29

• Level II (upper deep cervical). Consists of lymph nodes located around the upper third of the internal
jugular vein and adjacent spinal accessory nerve extending from the level of the carotid bifurcation to the
skull base.
• Level III (mid deep cervical). Consists of lymph nodes around the middle third of the internal jugular
vein extending from the carotid bifurcation superiorly to the cricothyroid notch inferiorly.
• Level IV (lower deep cervical). Consists of lymph nodes located around the lower third of the internal
jugular vein extending from the cricothyroid notch to the clavicle inferiorly.
• Level V. Consists of the posterior triangle nodes which are located between the posterior border of the
sternomastoid muscle and the anterior border of trapezius. The supraclavicular nodes are also included in
this group.
• Level VI. Anterior compartment.

Staging
The staging system in most common use in the UK is that proposed by the International Union against
Cancer (UICC), which is based on data developed by the American Joint Committee (AJC) for Cancer
Staging.

NX Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed.

N0 Regional lymph nodes not palpable.
N1 Movable single homolateral node < 3 cm in diameter.
N2 Movable homolateral or bilateral nodes.
(a) Single ipsilateral node (3–6 cm in diameter).
(b) Multiple ipsilateral nodes (up to 6 cm).
(c) Bilateral or contralateral nodes (up to 6 cm).
N3 Nodes > 6 cm in diameter.

Although this system is useful, it has several inherent problems: clinicians will fail to agree on the presence
of a palpable lymph node in as many as 30% of cases. In addition, it is generally acknowledged that the
number of lymph nodes involved, the lymph node level and the presence of extra-capsular spread (ECS) are
the most important prognostic parameters in metastatic disease of the neck. This information is only
available after pathological staging (pTNM).

Treatment
The treatment of malignant neck nodes is by either some form of neck dissection or radiotherapy. Broadly
speaking, lymph nodes of less than 2 cm diameter can be treated by radical radiotherapy and those greater
than this size will be treated by a neck dissection with or without postoperative radiotherapy. The rupture of
the lymph node capsule by tumour (ECS) is a bad prognostic sign. Fifty per cent of nodes with a diameter
greater than 3 cm exhibit this. Postoperative irradiation to the neck following neck dissection is mandatory
in the presence of ECS.
1. N0. The performance of a neck dissection without palpable lymph nodes (prophylactic or elective neck
dissection) is considered by some to be of doubtful value. The argument supporting dissection is that some
lymph nodes may be invaded by tumour (occult nodes) and still be impalpable. Risk factors for occult nodes
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