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Purpose To perform the first head-to-head comparative evaluation of patient education material for obstructive sleep apnoea generated by two artificial intelligence chatbots, ChatGPT and its primary rival Google Bard. Methods Fifty frequently asked questions on obstructive sleep apnoea in English were extracted from the patient information webpages of four major sleep organizations and categorized as input prompts. ChatGPT and Google Bard responses were selected and independently rated using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool–Printable (PEMAT-P) Auto-Scoring Form by two otolaryngologists, with a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) and a special interest in sleep medicine and surgery. Responses were subjectively screened for any incorrect or dangerous information as a secondary outcome. The Flesch-Kincaid Calculator was used to evaluate the readability of responses for both ChatGPT and Google Bard. Results A total of 46 questions were curated and categorized into three domains: condition ( n  = 14), investigation ( n  = 9) and treatment ( n  = 23). Understandability scores for ChatGPT versus Google Bard on the various domains were as follows: condition 90.86% vs.76.32% ( p  < 0.001); investigation 89.94% vs. 71.67% ( p  < 0.001); treatment 90.78% vs.73.74% ( p  < 0.001). Actionability scores for ChatGPT versus Google Bard on the various domains were as follows: condition 77.14% vs. 51.43% ( p  < 0.001); investigation 72.22% vs. 54.44% ( p  = 0.05); treatment 73.04% vs. 54.78% ( p  = 0.002). The mean Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level for ChatGPT was 9.0 and Google Bard was 5.9. No incorrect or dangerous information was identified in any of the generated responses from both ChatGPT and Google Bard. Conclusion Evaluation of ChatGPT and Google Bard patient education material for OSA indicates the former to offer superior information across several domains.

Purpose To conduct a comparative performance evaluation of GPT-3.5, GPT-4 and Google Bard in self-assessment questions at the level of the American Sleep Medicine Certification Board Exam. Methods A total of 301 text-based single-best-answer multiple choice questions with four answer options each, across 10 categories, were included in the study and transcribed as inputs for GPT-3.5, GPT-4 and Google Bard. The first output responses generated were selected and matched for answer accuracy against the gold-standard answer provided by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for each question. A global score of 80% and above is required by human sleep medicine specialists to pass each exam category. Results GPT-4 successfully achieved the pass mark of 80% or above in five of the 10 exam categories, including the Normal Sleep and Variants Self-Assessment Exam (2021), Circadian Rhythm Sleep–Wake Disorders Self-Assessment Exam (2021), Insomnia Self-Assessment Exam (2022), Parasomnias Self-Assessment Exam (2022) and the Sleep-Related Movements Self-Assessment Exam (2023). GPT-4 demonstrated superior performance in all exam categories and achieved a higher overall score of 68.1% when compared against both GPT-3.5 (46.8%) and Google Bard (45.5%), which was statistically significant ( p value < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the overall score performance between GPT-3.5 and Google Bard. Conclusions Otolaryngologists and sleep medicine physicians have a crucial role through agile and robust research to ensure the next generation AI chatbots are built safely and responsibly .

Background: The ear, nose and throat region has been reported to be one of the commonest sites involved in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis diseases and often precedes the diagnosis of ANCA–associated vasculitis by many months. Although treatment for ANCA–associated vasculitis primarily requires systemic immunosuppressive therapy, there are specific indications for sinonasal surgery during the course of the disease process. The three major roles for surgery in sinonasal vasculitis are to aid diagnosis through biopsy, enable symptom relief and nasal reconstructive surgery consideration when in remission. Purpose: The aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the surgical procedures which can be performed in patients with ANCA–associated vasculitis presenting with sinonasal involvement. Materials and methods: A systematic literature search was performed for scientific articles on MEDLINE (PubMed Advanced MEDLINE Search) and EMBASE. The search included all articles up to April 2020. Conclusion: Surgical intervention during the active phase of ANCA–associated vasculitis disease can improve the patient’s symptoms and enable histological diagnosis. The surgical decision to manage the nose requires a multidisciplinary approach involving the vasculitis specialist and the ear, nose and throat surgeon. Nasal reconstruction can be performed to restore form and function but only when the disease is in remission so as to maximise success and minimise complications.

Background: Nasal obstruction is a frequent problem amongst patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Radiofrequency of the inferior turbinates (RFIT) is commonly utilized for inferior turbinate (IT) reduction but its effectiveness in SDB patients remains unproven. We aim to evaluate long-term objective and subjective nasal, olfactory and sleep outcomes following RFIT in SDB patients. Methods: Patients were assessed at baseline (T0) and at 3 months (T1), 6 months (T2) and 12 months (T3) following RFIT. At T0, T1, T2 and T3, the patients underwent objective assessments of their nasal airways and smell function and an evaluation of their quality-of-life, sinonasal, olfactory and sleep symptoms. Sleep studies were carried out at T0 and T2. Results: Seventeen patients (with a median age of 42 years) underwent RFIT. A statistically significant objective and subjective improvement of the patients’ nasal airways was demonstrated at T1. No other statistically significant changes were observed in the patients’ nasal airways, smell, sleep study parameters or patient-reported outcomes at the other follow-ups. A multivariate analysis confirmed a statistically significant influence of age (older), sex (male), a higher BMI, the presence of septal deviation and the presence of allergic rhinitis in some of the studies’ parameters. A statistically significant objective and subjective improvement of the patients’ nasal airways was confirmed in the fitted model when considering the influence of the available variables. Conclusions: Our study confirms that the benefits of RFIT alone in SDB patients are limited and possibly only in the short-term period. Patient-related variables can potentially influence the final outcomes.

Objectives. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI compared with CT in differentiating neoplastic from infectious/inflammatory causes of complete unilateral maxillary sinus opacification (UMSO). Although MRI is increasingly used, no studies validate its utility compared to CT or nasal endoscopy in this context. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 49 patients presenting with complete UMSO to a tertiary referral centre was performed, investigated with both CT and MRI. Two head and neck radiologists independently reviewed each imaging modality and recorded both a final diagnosis and Likert-scale diagnostic certainty score. A consensus radiological diagnosis was determined, stratified into potentially neoplastic or infectious/inflammatory aetiology, and compared with nasal endoscopy and final diagnosis. Diagnostic performance and interoperator agreement for predicting neoplasia were calculated. Results. Both CT and MRI demonstrated high sensitivity and negative predictive value for neoplasm, although MRI was more specific (79%; 95% CI: 60–92%) than CT (14%; 95% CI: 4–32%), with a higher positive predictive value. MRI was more accurate (88%; 95% CI: 75–95%) than CT (49%; 95% CI: 34–64%) in diagnosing neoplasia. MRI had significantly higher diagnostic certainty Likert scores than CT (p<0.0001 for both observers). Interobserver agreement was fair for CT (kappa coefficient = 0.327) and excellent for MRI (kappa coefficient = 0.918). Conclusions. MRI is more specific than CT in characterising UMSO, with greater diagnostic certainty and reproducibility. The additive diagnostic value of MRI complements CT, potentially reducing diagnostic delays in some cases and the need for diagnostic endoscopic sinus surgery in others. We recommend MRI incorporation into the diagnostic pathway for patients with UMSO.

Purpose The frequency of anorectal symptoms amongst pregnant women has not been objectively investigated in the United Kingdom. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of anorectal symptoms during each trimester of pregnancy. Methods Women attending the antenatal clinics at a London teaching hospital were asked to complete a questionnaire. The presence or absence of common anorectal symptoms experienced both before and during the current pregnancy together with demographic and pregnancy data was collected. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test. Results Two hundred seventeen patients (first trimester n = 75, second trimester n = 70 and third trimester n = 72) participated. A significant increase in the frequency of symptoms was observed in the third (43.1%) compared to the first (16.0%, p < 0.001) and second (22.9%, p = 0.013) trimesters. The incidence of per rectal bleeding was significantly greater in the third trimester (30.6%) compared to the first (10.6%, p = 0.004) and the second (12.9%, p = 0.014) trimesters. Similarly, anal pain was significantly more frequent in the third trimester (34.7%) compared to the first (13.3%, p = 0.003) and the second (12.9%, p = 0.003) trimesters. Conclusion The frequency of anorectal symptom reporting appears to increase as pregnancy progresses. Further investigation and research is warranted to determine the configuration of services that may be required to treat those affected.

Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of automated machine learning (AutoML) offers a new potential breakthrough to overcome the barrier of entry for non-technically trained physicians. A Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) for screening purposes using AutoML could be beneficial to ease the clinical burden in the radiological workflow for paranasal sinus diseases. Methods The main target of this work was the usage of automated evaluation of model performance and the feasibility of the Vertex AI image classification model on the Google Cloud AutoML platform to be trained to automatically classify the presence or absence of sinonasal disease. The dataset is a consensus labelled Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS-3) MRI head dataset by three specialised head and neck consultant radiologists. A total of 1313 unique non-TSE T2w MRI head sessions were used from the OASIS-3 repository. Results The best-performing image classification model achieved a precision of 0.928. Demonstrating the feasibility and high performance of the Vertex AI image classification model to automatically detect the presence or absence of sinonasal disease on MRI. Conclusion AutoML allows for potential deployment to optimise diagnostic radiology workflows and lay the foundation for further AI research in radiology and otolaryngology. The usage of AutoML could serve as a formal requirement for a feasibility study.

Foreign body ingestion is a frequent presenting complaint to most emergency departments but the finding of a sewing needle in the posterior pharynx particularly is a rare finding. We report a case of a male patient with a sewing needle lodged in the posterior pharynx despite a history suggestive of chicken bone ingestion, absent clinical features, and negative flexible endoscopic examination. The needle was only identified through cervical spine radiographs. Even subsequent pharyngoscopy, laryngoscopy, and upper oesophagoscopy all proved to be unremarkable with the patient eventually requiring a left neck exploration to remove the needle. The case outlines the importance of simple radiography in suspected foreign body ingestion, even though clinical and endoscopic findings may be unremarkable.

Evidence for the management of acute otitis externa (AOE) is limited, with unclear diagnostic criteria and variably reported outcome measures that may not reflect key stakeholder priorities. We aimed to develop 1) a definition, 2) diagnostic criteria and 3) a core outcome set (COS) for AOE. COS development according to Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) methodology and parallel consensus selection of diagnostic criteria/definition. Stakeholders from the United Kingdom. Comprehensive literature review identified candidate items for the COS, definition and diagnostic criteria. Nine individuals with past AOE generated further patient-centred candidate items. Candidate items were rated for importance by patient and professional (ENT doctors, general practitioners, microbiologists, nurses, audiologists) stakeholders in a three-round online Delphi exercise. Consensus items were grouped to form the COS, diagnostic criteria, and definition. Candidate COS items from patients (n = 28) and literature (n = 25) were deduplicated and amalgamated to a final candidate list (n = 46). Patients emphasised quality-of-life and the impact on daily activities/work. Via the Delphi process, stakeholders agreed on 31 candidate items. The final COS covered six outcomes: pain; disease severity; impact on quality-of-life and daily activities; patient satisfaction; treatment-related outcome; and microbiology. 14 candidate diagnostic criteria were identified, 8 reaching inclusion consensus. The final definition for AOE was 'diffuse inflammation of the ear canal skin of less than 6 weeks duration'. The development and adoption of a consensus definition, diagnostic criteria and a COS will help to standardise future research in AOE, facilitating meta-analysis. Consulting former patients throughout development highlighted deficiencies in the outcomes adopted previously, in particular concerning the impact of AOE on daily life.