Differential Diagnosis in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery PDF

Although otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons are drawn to medicine for many reasons, we all share a singular and profound sense of responsibility for our patients. Yet it is indeed a challenge to keep abreast of advances in diagnosis and therapeutics and to meet the expectations to which we hold ourselves and to which we are held by the public. The breadth and depth of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery continue to expand. As otolaryngologists, we now require a knowledge base that includes not just the established core of our field, but also sleep medicine, esophageal disorders, allergies, and skull base surgery, to name a few areas unfamiliar to our predecessors. The knowledge base in all areas of our field is increasingly voluminous as new studies add to the literature. Furthermore, time can separate patients with rare disorders; accordingly, our memories may fade regarding what differential diagnoses to consider. It seems, at times, that therapeutic advances overshadow the fundamentals of diagnostic skills in otolaryngology and other medical specialties.

Evolving technologies are exciting and innovative but are useless to a patient with no diagnosis. In the office, at the bedside, and in the emergency department, patients present to us with symptoms and signs, which are the dues that trigger our thoughts and ultimately our recommendations. This book is intended to offer the clinician a practical resource for the formulation of a differential diagnosis. Although other texts on this topic exist, one distinguishing feature of Differential Diagnosis in Otularyngo/ogy-Head and Neck Surgery is its innovative design. The text is organized around symptoms, the most fundamental information that our patients give us. Within the text the reader will find a hierarchical organization of potential diagnoses that are symptom based. In addition, the reader will find dear links to other areas of the text that should be considered for a given complaint We are proud to have the contributions of some of the brightest minds in our field in Differential Diagnosis in Otularyngo/ogy-Head and Neck SuiXI!ry. It has been our pleasure to work with these contributors.