The 2010 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), the largest meeting of ear, nose, and throat doctors in the world, will convene September 26-29, 2010, in Boston, MA. Featuring more than 305 scientific research sessions, 594 posters, and several hundred instruction course hours for attendees, the annual meeting is a unique opportunity for journalists from around the world to cover breaking science and medical news…

That’s the message of Drs. Roya Sayadi and Joel Herskowitz. They are a wife-husband team from Natick, Massachusetts, who are spreading the word that swallowing problems are everywhere - and they can be deadly. “Many people these days know about the dangers of falling in the elderly,” said Sayadi, a speech-language pathologist with the Natick Visiting Nurse Association. “Caregivers are on the alert and do many things to prevent falls

The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) announced the release of a consensus statement to address ambiguities and disparities in the diagnosis and management of nasal valve compromise (NVC). Nasal valve compromise (NVC) is a distinct and primary cause for symptomatic nasal airway obstruction, yet there remain ambiguities and disparities in the diagnosis and management of this condition. Other etiologies for nasal airway obstruction, either structural or inflammatory, may co-exist or mimic the symptoms caused by NVC…

The American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) announced the release of a consensus statement to address ambiguities and disparities in the diagnosis and management of nasal valve compromise (NVC). Nasal valve compromise (NVC) is a distinct and primary cause for symptomatic nasal airway obstruction, yet there remain ambiguities and disparities in the diagnosis and management of this condition. Other etiologies for nasal airway obstruction, either structural or inflammatory, may co-exist or mimic the symptoms caused by NVC…

British-born author and journalist, Christopher Hitchens, 61, has announced that he is to undergo chemotherapy for cancer of the esophagus, cancelling any further commitments in his current book tour to promote his new book Hitch 22. He made the announcement via Vanity Fair’s web site, a publications for which he contributes. Hitchens is well known to be a heavy cigarette smoker. Although he appeared to have quit in 2008, various sources report that he fell off the nicotine-wagon. Fox News writes that in 2003 he admitted that his alcohol intake was enough to kill or stun the average mule…

A history of ear tubes to treat infections does not appear to adversely affect children with cochlear implants, regardless of whether the tubes are left in place or removed before implantation, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Newborn hearing screening is now widespread and cochlear implants to reverse hearing loss have been shown to be successful in children younger than age 2, according to background information in the article…

Temporary changes in hearing sensitivity are associated with potential harmful effects of listening to an MP3 player, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. “It is well known that excessive occupational noise exposure can lead to noise-induced hearing loss,” the authors write as background in the study. The increasing popularity and availability of portable music players has caused concern about the potential hazardous effects on hearing…

The American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO) will hold its annual meeting, April 30 - May 2, during the 2010 Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings (COSM) - a joint meeting of eight otolaryngological societies in Las Vegas, NV. During the ASPO meeting, hundreds of pieces of new research and dozens of scientific sessions featuring expert panelists will be presented focusing on children’s ear, nose, and throat health…

On Dec. 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the da Vinci Surgical System® for benign and malignant tumors in such locations as the tongue, tonsils, mouth and voice box. Studies have found that, compared with conventional surgical techniques, the robotic system can result in shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, less blood loss and scarring and reduced risks of infections and long-term swallowing problems. “The system provides 3-D, high-definition visualization and is significantly more precise,” said head-and-neck surgeon Dr…

Strativa Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Oravig (miconazole) buccal tablets for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), more commonly known as thrush, in adults and children age 16 and older. Oravig is the first and only local, oral prescription formulation of miconazole an antifungal medication approved for this use in the U.S…