Treatment of sialorrhoea with repeated ultrasound-guided injections of botulinum toxin A into the parotid and submandibular glands.

Botulinum toxin injections are useful in patients with refractory sialorrhoea although the optimum treatment protocol and its efficacy over a long period of follow up are controversial. The aim of our prospective study was to examine the efficacy and complications of a protocol of repeated ultrasound-guided botulinum toxin injections of fixed doses at a tertiary children's hospital. A total of 79 procedures were done in 34 patients who were followed up for two years. The overall complication rate was 3%. The outcome measures considered included the Drooling Frequency Severity Scale (DFSS), visual analogue scale (VAS), and carers' assessments of the reduction in drooling. Our study highlighted two types on non-responders (primary and secondary) of which 3/34 required definitive surgical management. In summary, this study shows that a protocol of repeated injections of fixed doses of botulinum toxin A, while not beneficial in all cases, is a potentially valuable option for the safe and effective treatment of sialorrhoea in children.

Treatment of a branchial sinus tract by sclerotherapy.

A 16-year-old female presented with a sinus on the skin just medial to the right clavicle, which had discharged clear fluid on a daily basis for a number of years. A sinogram was performed and showed a long sinus tract extending from the region of the right clavicle to the lateral pharyngeal wall. Surgical treatment would have required an extensive procedure and seemed inappropriate in view of the relatively mild symptoms the patient was experiencing. Instead sclerotherapy was used to induce healing of the lesion. This was performed using 3% sodium tetradecyl sulphate foam delivered via a catheter along the entire length of the tract. There were no immediate complications from this procedure and on review at 1 and 6 weeks post-procedure the patient reported a significant improvement in the fluid discharge. At 1 year post-procedure this improvement had been sustained. The patient did report an occasional discharge from the sinus tract orifice at the base of her neck, but she did not feel that this was a significant problem and declined any further treatment.

The benefits of on-site cytology with ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in a one-stop neck lump clinic.

INTRODUCTION: In the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on cancer services published in 2004, it was recommended that specialist clinics should be set up for the assessment of patients with neck lumps, structured in a similar way to one-stop breast lump clinics with a cytopathologist present and preferably ultrasound guidance. The aim of this study was to audit the performance of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) with on-site cytology in a one-stop neck lump clinic at The Royal Liverpool University Hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were collected between November 2008 and May 2009 (7 months). Details of the adequacy rate for the FNA were recorded and whether multiple passes were required. The likely adequacy rate if ultrasound guidance was not available was also calculated. RESULTS: A total of 274 patients were included in the audit. Of these, 227 (83%) patients required a single pass for adequate diagnostic material. Of the remaining, 45 (16%) required two passes and 2 (1%) required three passes. The overall sample inadequacy rate was 11 of 274 (4%). From these results, it could be predicted that, if immediate cytological evaluation was unavailable, the inadequacy rate would have been 41 of 274 (15%). CONCLUSIONS: This audit has illustrated the benefits of a one-stop clinic with on-site cytology in providing a rapid diagnostic head and neck cancer service.

Does sialography require antibiotic prophylaxis?

The objective of this study was to identify if bacteraemias occur during sialography, which could predispose to endocarditis in susceptible patients. Patients requiring sialography who gave informed consent were included in the trial. Patients taking antibiotics, or who were predisposed to infective endocarditis, were excluded. Sialography was performed using a standard hand injection technique with a water-soluble non-ionic contrast agent (Niopam, Bracco, UK). An indwelling cannula was inserted into the forearm prior to the procedure and then three blood samples of at least 10 ml were taken: sample one before sialography; sample two was taken as a continuous withdrawal during the sialographic procedure; and sample three over a further 10 min period after sialography. The blood samples were cultured for bacteria using the BacT/ALERT system (BioMerieux, UK). 32 patients were included in the study. No samples showed evidence of bacteraemia. Three patients had bacterial contamination from skin commensals. Using the rule of three, we have shown a 95% confidence interval of 3/32 = 0.09. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that sialography is not associated with bacteraemia.

Tetracycline sclerotherapy for the treatment of recurrent pooling of plasma in the submandibular tissue space: case report.

We present an unusual case of recurrent swelling after removal of the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands which was found to be the result of a collection of plasma. This was successfully treated by an injection of tetracycline to induce sclerosis.

Giant cell arteritis--a case report.

Giant cell arteritis is a serious condition, requiring immediate treatment. A case illustrating the difficulties of diagnosis is presented, together with a discussion of the management.

Endodontic radiography.

The ability to take radiographs of good diagnostic quality is an essential prerequisite for successful root canal therapy. However, the operator also has a responsibility to limit the radiation dose to the patient. This article reviews the radiography required for root canal treatment with these criteria in mind.

An audit of film reject and repeat rates in a department of dental radiology.

A study of film reject and repeat rates was undertaken in the Department of Dental Radiology of King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry over a 6 month period. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of changes implemented after a previous audit, and to carry out a more detailed analysis of the factors influencing the reject and repeat rates using a larger volume of data. The information recorded included the equipment and projection used, and the age of the patient if under 16 years. The overall reject rate was 3.06%, 1.84% less than recorded in the earlier study, and the repeat rate was 0.93%. Positioning errors were the most frequent cause for rejection. Significant differences in reject rates were noted between different projections, and also between qualified staff and those in training. The rejection rate for patients under 16 years was not significantly higher than for patients over 16 years, the most frequent cause of rejection was still positioning faults, but patient movement accounted for a larger proportion of the rejects than was the case in adult patients. The results demonstrate the role of audit in isolating factors leading to additional exposures. The effectiveness of changes implemented following a reject film analysis is also shown.