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Acute and Chronic Laryngopharyngitis
Laryngopharyngitis is inflammation of the larynx and/or pharynx, categorized as acute (<3 weeks) or chronic (≥3 weeks) Acute laryngitis is most commonly viral; affects approxima…
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Laryngology / Voice / Swallow
Board-review topics in Laryngology / Voice / Swallow.
61 topics
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Anesthesia in Pediatric Otolaryngology
Pediatric anesthesia for otolaryngologic procedures requires specialized knowledge of age-specific airway anatomy, pharmacology, and perioperative risk Shared airway surgery (su…
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Benign Neoplasms of the Salivary Glands
Salivary gland neoplasms represent 3-6% of all head and neck tumors Annual incidence: approximately 2.5-3.0 per 100,000 population Rule of 80s: 80% of salivary tumors occur in p…
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Benign Vocal Fold Mucosal Disorders
Benign vocal fold mucosal disorders encompass non-neoplastic structural lesions of the vocal fold that alter the layered microstructure and impair phonation These include vocal …
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Chronic Aspiration
Chronic aspiration is the repeated entry of oropharyngeal or gastric contents past the vocal folds into the lower airway, leading to recurrent pneumonia, chronic lung disease, o…
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Congenital Malformations of the Inner Ear
Congenital inner ear malformations are structural anomalies of the cochlea, vestibule, semicircular canals, vestibular aqueduct, or internal auditory canal resulting from arrest…
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Congenital Malformations of the Nose and Nasopharynx
Congenital nasal and nasopharyngeal malformations encompass a spectrum of developmental anomalies resulting from aberrant embryogenesis of the nose, nasal cavity, and nasopharyn…
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Craniofacial Surgery for Congenital Deformities
Craniofacial surgery encompasses surgical correction of congenital anomalies involving the skull, cranial base, and facial skeleton, typically performed through multidisciplinar…
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Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction
Cricopharyngeal dysfunction (also called cricopharyngeal achalasia or upper esophageal sphincter dysfunction) refers to failure of the cricopharyngeus muscle (upper esophageal s…
Cricothyrotomy
Cricothyrotomy (cricothyroidotomy) is an emergency surgical airway procedure involving incision through the cricothyroid membrane (CTM) to establish rapid access to the tracheal…
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Difficult Adult Airway
The ASA defines a difficult airway as "a clinical situation in which a conventionally trained anesthesiologist experiences difficulty with facemask ventilation of the upper airw…
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Diseases of the Esophagus
Diseases of the esophagus relevant to the otolaryngologist include GERD/LPR, esophageal motility disorders, strictures, webs, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), Barrett esophagus, …
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Disorders of the Thyroid Gland
Thyroid disorders encompass a wide range of functional (hyper/hypothyroidism), structural (goiter, nodules), inflammatory (thyroiditis), and neoplastic (benign and malignant) co…
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Early Detection and Diagnosis of Infant Hearing Impairment
Congenital hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit at birth, affecting approximately 1-3 per 1000 newborns; prevalence increases to 3-6 per 1000 when including NICU grad…
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Epiglottitis and Supraglottitis
Epiglottitis (more accurately termed supraglottitis) is a fulminant, life-threatening infection of the supraglottic larynx primarily involving the epiglottis and aryepiglottic f…
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Evaluation and Management of Congenital Aural Atresia
Congenital aural atresia (CAA) is the absence or severe stenosis of the external auditory canal, resulting from failure of canalization of the first branchial cleft during embry…
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General Considerations in Pediatric Otolaryngology
Pediatric otolaryngology encompasses the diagnosis and management of ear, nose, throat, and head/neck disorders in children from birth through adolescence The pediatric airway, …
Head and Neck Manifestations in the Immunocompromised Host
Immunocompromised hosts include patients with HIV/AIDS, organ transplant recipients, those on chemotherapy or biologic immunosuppressants, congenital immunodeficiencies, and oth…
History, Physical Examination, and Preoperative Evaluation
The cornerstone of all otolaryngologic care is a thorough history, directed head and neck physical examination, and risk-stratified preoperative evaluation Preoperative assessme…
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Imaging and FNA of the Salivary Glands
Salivary gland imaging and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) are the cornerstones of preoperative evaluation for salivary gland masses and inflammatory conditions FNA of salivary gla…
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Inflammatory Disorders of the Salivary Glands
Sialadenitis refers to inflammation of a salivary gland from infectious, obstructive, autoimmune, or granulomatous causes Sialolithiasis is the formation of calcified stones wit…
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Laryngeal and Esophageal Trauma
Laryngeal trauma encompasses blunt and penetrating injuries to the laryngeal framework, endolaryngeal soft tissues, and neurovascular structures Relatively uncommon—accounts for…
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Laryngeal and Pharyngeal Function
The larynx serves three primary functions: airway protection (sphincteric), phonation, and respiration The pharynx is a muscular tube extending from the skull base to the cricoi…
Laryngeal and Tracheal Manifestations of Systemic Disease
Systemic diseases frequently involve the larynx and trachea, producing symptoms ranging from mild hoarseness to life-threatening airway obstruction.
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Laryngeal Reinnervation
Laryngeal reinnervation encompasses surgical techniques to restore motor innervation to the denervated laryngeal musculature, with the primary goal of restoring vocal fold tone,…
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Laryngocoeles
A laryngocoele is an abnormal dilatation (air-filled or fluid-filled) of the saccule of the laryngeal ventricle (appendix of the ventricle of Morgagni) The saccule is a blind po…
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Laser Surgery of the Larynx
Laser surgery of the larynx encompasses the use of various laser systems to treat benign, premalignant, and malignant laryngeal lesions via an endoscopic approach LASER = Light …
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Malignant Neoplasms of the Salivary Glands
Salivary gland malignancies account for 3-6% of head and neck cancers with an annual incidence of 0.9-1.5 per 100,000 More than 20 histologic subtypes recognized in the WHO clas…
Management of Parathyroid Disorders
Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is the autonomous overproduction of parathyroid hormone (PTH) by one or more parathyroid glands, causing hypercalcemia; the most common cause …
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Microtia Reconstruction
Microtia is congenital hypoplasia or malformation of the external ear (auricle/pinna), ranging from mild structural anomalies to complete absence of the ear (anotia) Incidence i…
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Neurologic Disorders of the Larynx
Neurologic disorders of the larynx encompass conditions in which abnormal central or peripheral neural control produces involuntary laryngeal movements, voice disturbances, or a…
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Neurologic Evaluation of the Larynx and Pharynx
Neurologic evaluation of the larynx and pharynx involves systematic assessment of cranial nerve function (primarily CN IX, X, XI, XII), laryngeal electromyography (LEMG), and an…
Oral Manifestations of Systemic Diseases
The oral cavity performs three critical functions: food/beverage intake, communication, and host protection from noxious substances.
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Otolaryngology in the Elderly
The geriatric population (≥65 years) represents the fastest-growing demographic in the United States, projected to comprise 21% of the population by 2030 Age-related physiologic…
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Outcomes Research and Evidence-Based Medicine
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the conscientious integration of the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values to guide clinical decision-maki…
Overview of Diagnostic Imaging of the Head and Neck
Comprehensive overview of imaging modalities available for evaluation of head and neck pathology: computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, positro…
Pain Management in the Head and Neck Patient
Pain management in head and neck patients encompasses acute postoperative pain, chronic pain syndromes, cancer-related pain, and neuropathic pain specific to the cranial nerves …
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Pediatric Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is defined as sinonasal inflammation lasting ≥12 consecutive weeks (or ≥90 days) with at least two of the following: nasal obstruction/con…
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Pediatric Cochlear Implantation
Cochlear implantation (CI) in children provides direct electrical stimulation of the spiral ganglion cells, bypassing damaged or absent hair cells, to restore auditory input in …
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Pediatric Facial Fractures
Pediatric facial fractures are relatively uncommon, accounting for approximately 5-15% of all facial fractures; incidence increases with age, with a significant rise after age 5…
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Pediatric Infectious Disease
Pediatric infectious diseases of the head and neck encompass a broad spectrum of bacterial, viral, fungal, and mycobacterial infections that present with unique features in chil…
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Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by recurrent partial (hypopnea) or complete (apnea) upper airway obstruction during s…
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Pediatric Otologic Surgery
Pediatric otologic surgery encompasses surgical procedures performed on the ear and temporal bone in children, including myringotomy with tube placement, tympanoplasty, mastoide…
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Pediatric Speech Disorders
Speech is the motor act of producing sounds for communication; language is the system of symbols and rules used to convey meaning — both can be independently impaired Speech-sou…
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Pediatric Vestibular Disorders
Pediatric vestibular disorders are underrecognized conditions affecting balance and spatial orientation in children; prevalence is estimated at 0.7-15% of the pediatric populati…
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Penetrating and Blunt Trauma to the Neck
Penetrating neck trauma is defined as any injury that violates the platysma muscle; injuries superficial to the platysma are managed as soft tissue wounds Blunt neck trauma (blu…
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Physiology of the Salivary Glands
Saliva is a complex exocrine secretion produced by three pairs of major salivary glands (parotid, submandibular, sublingual) and 600–1000 minor salivary glands distributed throu…
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Ranula and Sublingual Gland Excision
A ranula is a mucous extravasation pseudocyst arising from the sublingual gland (or, less commonly, a minor salivary gland) in the floor of mouth Simple (oral) ranula: confined …
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Surgery for Vestibular Disorders
Surgical intervention for vestibular disorders is reserved for patients with medically refractory symptoms that significantly impair quality of life The spectrum of surgical opt…
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Surgical Management of Upper Airway Stenosis
Upper airway stenosis refers to pathologic narrowing of the larynx or trachea at the glottic, subglottic, or tracheal level Subglottic stenosis (SGS) is narrowing of the airway …
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The Professional Voice
A professional voice user is anyone whose livelihood depends on voice quality and reliability; includes singers, actors, teachers, clergy, broadcasters, attorneys, telemarketers…
Thyroid Eye Disease (Graves Ophthalmopathy)
Thyroid eye disease (TED), also known as Graves ophthalmopathy (GO) or Graves orbitopathy, is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the orbit that occurs predominantly in assoc…
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Tracheobronchial Endoscopy
Tracheobronchial endoscopy (bronchoscopy) is the direct visualization of the trachea and bronchial tree using rigid or flexible endoscopes for diagnostic and therapeutic purpose…
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Tracheotomy
Tracheotomy is the creation of an opening in the anterior tracheal wall to establish a direct airway.
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Transnasal Esophagoscopy
Transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE) is an unsedated, office-based endoscopic evaluation of the upper aerodigestive tract from the nasopharynx to the stomach, performed using an ultra…
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Vascular Anomalies of the Head and Neck
Vascular anomalies of the head and neck are classified by the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) into two fundamentally distinct categories: vascu…
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Velopharyngeal Dysfunction
Velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) is a general term encompassing any impairment of the velopharyngeal valve that results in abnormal coupling of the oral and nasal cavities durin…
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Visual Documentation of the Larynx
Visual documentation of the larynx encompasses the techniques and technologies used to examine, record, and analyze laryngeal structure and function The modern laryngeal examina…
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Vocal Fold Paralysis and Medialization
Vocal fold paralysis (VFP) is the loss of voluntary movement of one or both vocal folds due to disruption of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) or, less commonly, the vagus ner…
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Voice Evaluation and Therapy
Voice evaluation is a multidimensional assessment incorporating patient history, auditory-perceptual analysis, acoustic analysis, aerodynamic measurement, and laryngeal visualiz…
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Zenker Diverticulum
A Zenker diverticulum (ZD) is a posterior pharyngeal pouch (pulsion diverticulum) that herniates through a weak area in the posterior hypopharyngeal wall known as Killian triang…