There has been a massive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, with the potential to revolutionise medicine and otolaryngological practice.Reference Oremule, Saunders, Kluk, d’Elia and Bruce1, Reference Brennan, Balakumar and Bennett2, Reference Jongbloed and Grover3, Reference Li, Ding, Zhong, Fang, Huang, Huang and Zhang4 Radiomics refers to the converting of medical images into high-quality quantitative data utilising AI algorithms to extract tumour data from magnetic resonance images. A review in this month’s Journal of Laryngology & Otology examines applications of radiomics in vestibular schwannomas and future considerations for translation into clinical practice.Reference Gill, Hamilton and Rajgor5 Their systematic review demonstrated radiomics has the potential for application in vestibular schwannoma care (such as supporting pre-operative decision-making and predicting treatment responses). However, the authors acknowledge that prospective multi-centre collaborative research and developments are required to further the field in this area.
Correct placement of the cochlear implant electrode array within the cochlea is crucial for optimal device functionality and auditory outcomes, and to avoid complications.Reference Das, Sharma, Mohan, Soni and Goyal6, Reference Jinka, Wase and Jeyakumar7, Reference Dalgic, Bozkurt, Aliyeva, Görgülü, Ceylan, Edizer and Olgun8 In this issue, Grover et al. report several cases of electrode misplacement along with the factors causing it and discuss solutions to mitigate them. By addressing such factors, surgical techniques and outcomes in cochlear implant procedures can be optimised.Reference Grover, Kataria, Samdani, Gupta, Preetam and Mehta9
Eustachian tube dysfunction is a commonly encountered condition seen in ENT clinics, and Eustachian tube balloon dilatation has emerged as an effective and relatively safe treatment option for the condition.Reference Kalra, McLeod, Hendriks, Ling and Kuthubutheen10, Reference Hussain, Hashmi and Qayyum11 A previous systematic review published in The Journal last year provided insufficient evidence for the use of intranasal corticosteroid sprays in the management of Eustachian tube dysfunction.Reference Nibhanupudy, Patel, Trinh, Jenkins, Weber and Levi12 Traditionally performed under general anaesthetic, some authors propose successfully carrying out the Eustachian tube balloon dilatation procedure under local anaesthetic. In this issue, Balai et al. report their experience of the local anaesthetic technique, reporting the local anaesthetic protocol they used to perform Eustachian tube balloon dilatation in the out-patient setting and the outcome of their cases.Reference Balai, Bullock, Ross and Ferguson13 The authors propose that Eustachian tube balloon dilatation can be performed successfully in the out-patient setting with equivalent efficacy, no compromise to insufflation pressures or duration, and no increased risk of adverse events. This benefits patients in terms of convenience and immediate return to activity, and offers significant cost and efficiency savings for a department. Newer techniques may also assist in such procedures in the future.Reference Zhang, Zhang, He, Chen, Chen and Su14
