The new 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, recently installed at Muelmed Mediclinic, Pretoria, contributes in establishing a world class imaging facility for ear conditions (otology) and neurotology. It is my opinion the Muelmed Mediclinic’s radiology group, De Beer De Jager Radiologists, has established themselves as one of the leading otology (ear) and neurotology

For the first time in history, during November 2018, the World Congress of Audiology was successfully hosted in Cape Town, South Africa. It was a great privilege to be part of this event, especially with hosting a pre-congress workshop. “Getting your head around vestibular assessments” is an appropriate name for a very informative workshop in

A Practical Clinical Approach to Balance Disorders is a Workshop that will take place as part of the 54th South African Annual ENT Congress. It is scheduled for Sunday 28 October 2018 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). The workshop is intended for ear nose and throat (ENT) surgeons, neurologists, general practitioners(GPs), audiologists, physiotherapists and

Can a virus cause a vestibular schwannoma. A sporadic vestibular schwannoma is a schwannoma that does not occur as part of a syndrome such as neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Before answering the question, one needs to acknowledge the fact that viruses are responsible for certain cancers. Worldwide it is estimated that between 10-15 % of cancers

Vertigo in childhood (vertige de l’enfance) is a distressing condition. Often more so for the parents than for the child. Contributing to this is the inability in most cases of young children to express themselves, leaving the parents worried and often fearing the worst. It is estimated that the prevalence of children, older than 3

The inner ear disorder that restores hearing (“Le vertige qui fait entendre”) is rare. A vertigo attack leads to an improvement in hearing. It was first described in 1919 by the French otolaryngologist , Marcel Lermoyez. Lermoyez syndrome(LS), as it is also referred to, is considered to be a form of Meniere’s disease (MD). MD is

Every pregnant women should know about ear molding. For a mother to inspect her new born baby from head to toe, counting ten fingers and toes is a natural act. Scrutinizing the ears is no exception. Unfortunately, subtle ear abnormalities may often be overlooked. Ear deformities are characterized by a misshaped, but fully developed pinna.

Have you ever been shoved to the ground by the invisible hand ? If so, you may be suffering from drop attacks. A drop attack is a very distressing and potentially serious occurrence during which a patient suddenly falls to the ground. It occurs spontaneously, and without warning. Patients are fully aware of what is

In April 2018 I had the privilege to partake in four cochlear implantations in Namibia. We implanted four patients, three adults and a child. It was again great to team up with my fellow ear nose and throat surgeon, Dr Stephan van der Westhuizen. What made it special is that he and I also performed