Achieving a balance.

The make-up of this particular issue of the JLO reflects the Editors’ long-standing intention to rebalance the content of the journal. Hence, the majority of articles report original research or large clinical case reviews. The JLO will continue to consider individual case reports, but for these to be acceptable for publication they need to be of exceptional clinical value. Reports of uncommon pathological lesions with little relevance apart from rarity will not be accepted for publication, and will not be sent out for editorial peer review. The JLO remains very much a journal that is aimed at the practising otolaryngologist, and the slant of main research articles will always have a clinical focus. In this issue, there are a number of articles discussing controversial topics. One such topic is fungal rhinosinusitis, which is the subject of two articles. The role of fungi in ‘allergic fungal sinusitis’ and ‘eosinophilic mucin rhinosinusitis’ is not completely clear. Uri and colleagues, in a large case series, discuss some of the contentious issues. They highlight the difficulty in diagnosis, particularly with identification of fungi, and suggest that this hinders effective treatment. They also report that allergic fungal sinusitis is prone to early orbital involvement. Sinus mucormycosis is often a life-threatening emergency in immunodeficient patients. Jung and Park examine the occurrence of mucormycosis in four immunocompetent patients, and report that the disease in this group follows an indolent course, and that endoscopic sinus surgical clearance without anti-fungal drugs is the treatment of choice. The Editors also welcome short communications reporting practical tips, which are often of great value in everyday management of common conditions. In this issue, there are articles on ligation of the superior thyroid pedicle, suction clips for endolaryngeal laser surgery and a method for preventing obstruction of post-tympanoplasty ventilation tubes. These short articles often provide solutions of great ingenuity which deserve a wider audience.