MS · ENT (Otorhinolaryngology)

ENT (Otorhinolaryngology) thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

An ENT thesis usually lives between the outpatient clinic, the audiology room and the operating list, and the audiometer is the single piece of equipment that decides what is possible: if it is shared, uncalibrated or housed in a room with traffic noise outside, every hearing outcome you report is open to challenge. Graft uptake and hearing gain studies need a follow-up at three months that patients from outside the district rarely attend without a telephone call. Examiners press on calibration and the sound-treated room, on whether air-bone gap was averaged over stated frequencies, and on whether a symptom instrument such as SNOT-22 was used in a proper translation.

Topic register · 44 entries · 8 designs^[6]

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NMC PGMER-2023
NBEMS 180 days / 26 months
UGC 2018 · under 10%
ICMR 2017 · ethics

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The ENT (Otorhinolaryngology) register

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Filter by design or by feasibility, or search the titles and outcomes. Filtering only hides entries: every topic stays on the page, so nothing is lost if you clear the filters or arrive by a deep link.

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Study design

Feasibility in a teaching unit

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Showing 44 of 44 topics

The sample figure on each plate is a planning range read off the design, not a calculated answer. Your own number comes from a calculation against your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability in your setting, the power you want — and it belongs in the synopsis with those assumptions written beside it.

Topic 01 / 44
Link to this entry
Graft uptake and air-bone gap closure after type I tympanoplasty with temporalis fascia
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Intact graft on otoscopy and mean air-bone gap at three months across stated frequencies
Collection time
12–15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–70 ears, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a calibrated audiometer in a sound-treated room
- an ear surgery list with a consistent supply of dry central perforations
- three-month follow-up with otoscopy or otoendoscopy
What derails it
Ears that are dry on the day of surgery may start discharging again in the monsoon, so record the month of surgery and the duration of dryness before operation as study variables.
Topic 02 / 44
Link to this entry
Cartilage palisade compared with temporalis fascia graft in type I tympanoplasty
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Graft uptake at three months and mean air-bone gap closure
Collection time
15–18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30–45 ears per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- surgeons who use both graft materials routinely
- a calibrated audiometer with pre- and postoperative testing by the same audiologist
- an operative load of at least five tympanoplasties a month
What derails it
Cartilage tends to be chosen for larger or revision perforations, so unless you apply a written inclusion rule on perforation size and previous surgery the comparison is between ear types rather than grafts.
Topic 03 / 44
Link to this entry
Endoscopic compared with microscopic myringoplasty: graft uptake, operative time and hearing gain
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Graft uptake at three months with operative time and mean air-bone gap change
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30–45 ears per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a zero degree rigid endoscope with camera and monitor in theatre
- surgeons comfortable with one-handed endoscopic ear surgery
- audiometry by the same audiologist before and after
What derails it
The endoscopic arm is usually done by the one consultant who prefers it, so operator and technique are inseparable; record who operated and report that as a limitation rather than hiding it.
Topic 04 / 44
Link to this entry
Factors associated with graft failure after tympanoplasty: a case-control comparison
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Association of perforation size, eustachian tube function, nasal disease and smoking with graft failure
Collection time
6–9 months of record review with clinic recall
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40–60 failures with one to two controls each, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- operative and follow-up records for two to three years of tympanoplasties
- documentation of perforation size and middle ear status at surgery
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Failures present themselves back to the clinic while successes stop attending, so controls must be actively recalled and examined rather than assumed intact from the absence of a complaint.
Topic 05 / 44
Link to this entry
Microbiological profile and antibiotic sensitivity of ear discharge in active mucosal chronic suppurative otitis media
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Organisms isolated with their antibiotic sensitivity pattern
Collection time
9–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 150–220 ears, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- microbiology support for aerobic culture and sensitivity with fungal media
- swabs taken under otoscopic vision from the middle ear rather than the canal
- a steady outpatient load of discharging ears
What derails it
A swab wiped along the external canal grows canal flora, so the sample must be taken under vision from the middle ear after cleaning, and any patient on ear drops in the preceding week recorded separately.
Topic 06 / 44
Link to this entry
Hearing outcome and disease control after canal wall down mastoidectomy for squamosal chronic otitis media
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Dry cavity at the last recorded follow-up and mean air conduction threshold
Collection time
4–5 months of record review with clinic recall
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–90 ears, limited by what the archive contains
What your unit must already have
- operative records identifying the procedure and the extent of disease
- postoperative audiograms available in the file or repeatable on recall
- an ethics waiver plus consent for examination of recalled patients
What derails it
A cavity that is dry on one visit discharges on the next, so a single 'dry cavity' entry from an old file is not an outcome; define it as dry over at least two consecutive visits or at recall examination.
Topic 07 / 44
Link to this entry
Preoperative pure tone audiometry against intraoperative ossicular status in chronic suppurative otitis media
DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Agreement of the preoperative air-bone gap with the ossicular chain status found at surgery
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–120 ears, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a calibrated audiometer and an audiologist blinded to the operative plan
- the operating surgeon recording ossicular status on a fixed template
- an ear surgery list with consistent numbers
What derails it
The surgeon who has seen a forty decibel gap expects an eroded ossicle and finds one, so the intraoperative template must be completed by someone who has not read the audiogram, or the agreement is self-fulfilling.
Topic 08 / 44
Link to this entry
High resolution CT of the temporal bone against operative findings in atticoantral chronic otitis media
DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Sensitivity and specificity of CT for ossicular erosion, facial canal dehiscence and tegmen defect against surgical findings
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–80 ears, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- CT with temporal bone protocol and a radiologist reporting to a fixed checklist
- operative findings recorded on the matching checklist
- a surgical load of atticoantral disease
What derails it
A radiologist who reports after seeing the clinical diagnosis of cholesteatoma will report what is expected, so the scan must be read to the checklist before surgery and kept sealed until the operative form is filled.
Topic 09 / 44
Link to this entry
Clinical and mycological profile of otomycosis and response to topical antifungal treatment
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Fungal species isolated and clinical clearance at three weeks
Collection time
10–12 months covering the humid season
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–120 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- microbiology support for KOH mount and fungal culture
- aural toilet facilities with suction or microscopy
- a single topical regimen applied to all patients
What derails it
Otomycosis is strongly seasonal and a study run only through winter will not recruit, so plan enrolment across the humid months and record the month of presentation.
Topic 10 / 44
Link to this entry
Two-stage otoacoustic emission screening with brainstem response confirmation in neonates with risk factors for hearing loss
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Referral rate on second-stage screening and confirmed hearing loss on brainstem evoked response audiometry
Collection time
12–15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 250–400 neonates, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- an otoacoustic emission screener and access to brainstem evoked response audiometry
- co-operation of the neonatal unit for pre-discharge screening
- a quiet room in the postnatal ward for testing
What derails it
Debris and middle ear fluid in the first day after birth can produce a refer result in an ear that hears normally, so fix the minimum age at testing and the interval to the second stage rather than screening whoever is available before discharge.
Topic 11 / 44
Link to this entry
Hearing impairment on pure tone screening among primary school children
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion failing screening at a stated threshold, with otoscopic findings
Collection time
9–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 600–1000 children, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- school and education department permission obtained before the synopsis
- a portable audiometer with current calibration and a reasonably quiet room
- a referral pathway for children who fail
What derails it
Ambient noise in a school room can raise thresholds by enough to fail a child who hears normally, so measure the noise floor in each room and record it, or agree a fixed screening level that allows for it.
Topic 12 / 44
Link to this entry
Pure tone thresholds in workers exposed to occupational noise compared with unexposed office staff
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Mean thresholds at stated frequencies and the proportion with a high frequency notch
Collection time
9–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- access to a factory or workshop through its management and an occupational health link
- a calibrated audiometer in a sound-treated room at the hospital
- a noise-free interval before testing applied equally to both groups
What derails it
Testing a worker at the end of a shift captures temporary threshold shift rather than permanent loss, so fix a minimum noise-free interval before audiometry and record the time since last exposure for everyone.
Topic 13 / 44
Link to this entry
Pure tone thresholds in type 2 diabetes compared with age and sex matched non-diabetic attendants
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Mean air conduction thresholds across stated frequencies in the diabetic and the non-diabetic group
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 70–100 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a calibrated audiometer in a sound-treated room
- co-operation of the medicine department for recruitment of diabetic patients
- exclusion of noise exposure, ototoxic drugs and middle ear disease in both groups
What derails it
Noise exposure history and ototoxic drug use must be excluded with the same rigour in both groups, because controls recruited from hospital attendants tend to have more occupational noise exposure than the diabetic clinic population.
Topic 14 / 44
Link to this entry
Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores and audiometric correlates in patients with subjective tinnitus
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score with pure tone thresholds and tinnitus pitch matching
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a validated translation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory
- a calibrated audiometer with tinnitus matching capability
- exclusion of retrocochlear pathology by a stated protocol
What derails it
The Handicap Inventory asks about sleep and mood, and untreated anxiety or depression can drive those items independently of the tinnitus, so screen for psychological morbidity and report it alongside.
Topic 15 / 44
Link to this entry
Conversion of the Dix-Hallpike test and Dizziness Handicap Inventory after the Epley manoeuvre in posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Negative Dix-Hallpike test at one week and change in Dizziness Handicap Inventory
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60–90 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- an examination couch that allows proper head extension
- a validated translation of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory
- an examiner trained to perform and interpret the positional tests consistently
What derails it
Elderly patients with cervical spondylosis or obesity cannot be positioned properly for either the test or the manoeuvre, and including them produces false negatives, so set an explicit positioning criterion at enrolment.
Topic 16 / 44
Link to this entry
Aetiological profile of patients presenting with vertigo to an ENT outpatient clinic
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of diagnoses after a stated clinical and audiovestibular assessment
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 150–250 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a structured history and positional testing protocol applied to everyone
- audiometry available for all patients
- a referral link with neurology for central causes
What derails it
Vertigo and dizziness are used interchangeably by patients, so the inclusion criterion must be a defined symptom description taken by a consistent interviewer, or the series fills with presyncope and anxiety.
Topic 17 / 44
Link to this entry
Hearing recovery after combined systemic and intratympanic corticosteroid treatment in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Change in mean pure tone average at four weeks from presentation
Collection time
15–18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35–55 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a calibrated audiometer with serial testing by the same audiologist
- facilities and consent process for intratympanic injection
- MRI access to exclude retrocochlear pathology
What derails it
The interval from onset to treatment is the variable most likely to confound this, and most patients reach a teaching hospital after a fortnight of local treatment, so record that interval precisely and stratify by it.
Topic 18 / 44
Link to this entry
Air-bone gap closure after small fenestra stapedotomy in otosclerosis
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Mean air-bone gap at three months compared with the preoperative value
Collection time
4–6 months of record review over three to five years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30–60 ears, limited by what the archive contains
What your unit must already have
- a unit performing stapes surgery with prostheses available
- pre- and postoperative audiograms in the records
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Stapes surgery is done in small numbers outside specialist centres, so confirm the operative register holds enough cases over five years before writing this as a thesis rather than discovering it after the synopsis is approved.
Topic 19 / 44
Link to this entry
Speech discrimination and self-reported benefit after hearing aid fitting in presbycusis
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Change in speech discrimination score and a self-reported benefit measure at three months
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40–70 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- an audiology service that fits and verifies hearing aids
- speech material in the patient's own language with standardised presentation
- three-month follow-up including data on hours of daily use
What derails it
Speech testing in a language the patient does not use at home measures language rather than hearing, so the word lists must be in the patient's own language and the same lists used at each visit.
Topic 20 / 44
Link to this entry
Change in SNOT-22 score after functional endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
SNOT-22 score at three months compared with the preoperative score
Collection time
15 months of enrolment with three months of follow-up
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–70 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- an endoscopic sinus surgery list with consistent numbers
- a proper translation of SNOT-22 in the local language, pretested
- nasal endoscopy at each follow-up visit
What derails it
SNOT-22 must be the same translated version each time and self-completed, because a resident reading the items aloud and recording the answers changes several of the quality of life responses systematically.
Topic 21 / 44
Link to this entry
Lund-Mackay CT score and SNOT-22 score in chronic rhinosinusitis
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Correlation of the Lund-Mackay CT score with the SNOT-22 symptom score
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- CT of the paranasal sinuses with coronal reconstructions for all patients
- a radiologist or trained scorer applying Lund-Mackay consistently
- a translated SNOT-22 completed before the CT is reported
What derails it
Scans done elsewhere on different protocols cannot be scored reliably, particularly if coronal images are missing, so set a minimum acceptable scan specification and exclude films that fall short.
Topic 22 / 44
Link to this entry
Intranasal corticosteroid with saline irrigation compared with saline irrigation alone in chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
SNOT-22 score at eight weeks
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35–50 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a steady outpatient load of chronic rhinosinusitis managed medically
- irrigation devices and a written irrigation technique taught to every patient
- CTRI registration before the first patient is enrolled
- a translated SNOT-22 self-completed at each visit
What derails it
Patients buy and use whatever nasal spray the chemist offers, so ask to see the bottle at each visit and record any additional medication, otherwise the control arm is quietly taking steroid too.
Topic 23 / 44
Link to this entry
Diagnostic nasal endoscopy against CT of the paranasal sinuses in chronic rhinosinusitis
DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Sensitivity and specificity of endoscopic findings against CT as reference for sinus involvement
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a rigid nasal endoscope and an endoscopist recording findings to a template
- CT of the sinuses for all enrolled patients
- endoscopy performed and recorded before the CT report is available
What derails it
Endoscopy cannot see inside the maxillary or frontal sinus, so state clearly which sinuses the index test can comment on rather than reporting an overall accuracy that conceals where it has no view.
Topic 24 / 44
Link to this entry
Clinical, radiological and histopathological profile of fungal rhinosinusitis
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Distribution of invasive and non-invasive forms with the fungus identified
Collection time
4–5 months of record review over three years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60–120 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- histopathology and microbiology reports linked to the clinical records
- CT or MRI images or reports available for review
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
The distinction between invasive and non-invasive disease rests on histology showing tissue invasion, and files where only a KOH mount was done cannot be classified, so state your case definition and report how many were unclassifiable.
Topic 25 / 44
Link to this entry
NOSE scale score before and three months after septoplasty for symptomatic deviated nasal septum
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
NOSE scale score at three months compared with the preoperative score
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60–90 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a septal surgery list with consistent numbers
- a translated and pretested NOSE scale self-completed by the patient
- nasal endoscopy before surgery to document the deviation and any concurrent disease
What derails it
Coexisting allergic rhinitis can account for obstruction independently of the septum, so screen for it at enrolment and record it, because an unrecognised allergic group may blunt the postoperative change you measure.
Topic 26 / 44
Link to this entry
Nasal packing compared with trans-septal quilting sutures after septoplasty
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Pain and nasal obstruction on a visual analogue scale over the first forty-eight hours, with postoperative bleeding and septal haematoma
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35–50 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a septal surgery list with consistent weekly numbers
- a fixed suture material and quilting technique used by every operator
- CTRI registration before the first patient is enrolled
- pain scores collected by someone other than the operating surgeon
What derails it
A surgeon who sees more oozing than usual will pack the nose whatever the allocation says, so record each such deviation with its reason on the day and analyse as allocated rather than as treated.
Topic 27 / 44
Link to this entry
Symptom severity and skin prick test sensitisation pattern in allergic rhinitis
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Distribution of sensitising allergens on skin prick testing with a symptom severity classification
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a skin prick test panel with in-date extracts and positive and negative controls
- antihistamines withheld for a stated period before testing
- resuscitation facilities and a written protocol for systemic reactions
What derails it
Patients arrive having taken an antihistamine that morning, which suppresses the wheal and produces a falsely negative panel, so verify the washout at the door and reschedule rather than testing anyway.
Topic 28 / 44
Link to this entry
Aetiology and outcome of management in patients presenting with epistaxis
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Control of bleeding by the first intervention used and need for further intervention within 48 hours
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 120–200 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- an emergency ENT service with nasal endoscopy available
- blood pressure and coagulation assessment on arrival
- a record of each intervention with its timing
What derails it
Most patients have stopped bleeding by the time they are examined, so the site is never identified and the aetiology column fills with 'idiopathic'; define how the site will be sought and accept that many will remain unlocalised.
Topic 29 / 44
Link to this entry
Change in a paediatric sleep-disordered breathing questionnaire score after adenotonsillectomy
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Questionnaire score at three months compared with the preoperative score
Collection time
12–15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–70 children, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a paediatric ENT list with adenotonsillectomy done regularly
- a translated and pretested parent-completed sleep questionnaire
- tonsil grading and adenoid assessment documented before surgery
What derails it
The questionnaire is completed by the parent who has already decided on surgery and expects improvement, so the three-month form should be administered by someone not part of the surgical team.
Topic 30 / 44
Link to this entry
Coblation compared with cold steel dissection tonsillectomy: intraoperative blood loss and postoperative pain
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Measured intraoperative blood loss and visual analogue pain score over the first week
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a coblation device with wands funded for the whole study period
- a consistent method of measuring blood loss in theatre
- a pain diary the patient or parent can complete at home
What derails it
Coblation wands are single-use and costly, and a unit that charges for them will allocate by affordability rather than by the protocol, so confirm funding for every wand before enrolment starts.
Topic 31 / 44
Link to this entry
Correlation of the clinical indication with tonsillar histopathology in tonsillectomy specimens
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of histopathological findings against the recorded operative indication
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 150–250 specimens, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- every tonsillectomy specimen sent for histopathology
- a stated list of operative indications recorded before surgery
- pathology reporting to an agreed descriptive template
What derails it
Many units stop sending routine tonsils for histology, so confirm with the pathology department that they will report every specimen for the study period rather than assuming the existing practice covers it.
Topic 32 / 44
Link to this entry
STOP-BANG questionnaire against polysomnography in suspected obstructive sleep apnoea
DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire against the apnoea-hypopnoea index on polysomnography
Collection time
18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–120 patients, governed by the expected sensitivity and disease proportion, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- access to level one polysomnography, usually through pulmonary medicine
- a sleep laboratory slot rate that can absorb the sample
- a translated STOP-BANG administered before the study night
What derails it
Sleep laboratory capacity, not recruitment, sets the pace here; at two studies a week you cannot complete a hundred patients inside the window, so count available slots before fixing the sample.
Topic 33 / 44
Link to this entry
Aetiology of hoarseness on videolaryngoscopy with Voice Handicap Index-10 scores
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of laryngeal findings with the corresponding Voice Handicap Index-10 score
Collection time
10–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 120–180 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a flexible or rigid videolaryngoscope with recording facility
- a translated and pretested Voice Handicap Index-10
- biopsy and histopathology available for suspicious lesions
What derails it
Occupational voice demand can move the handicap index independently of the lesion, so record it as a variable or your score distribution may turn out to describe occupation rather than pathology.
Topic 34 / 44
Link to this entry
Causes and documented recovery of unilateral vocal cord palsy
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of identified causes and documented return of cord mobility within the follow-up available
Collection time
3–4 months of record review over three years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–150 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- laryngoscopy findings recorded at each visit in the files
- imaging of the neck and chest available for most cases
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
A cause is only recorded when someone looked for it, and files without chest imaging will be labelled idiopathic, so report what proportion of cases had a complete work-up alongside the aetiology distribution.
Topic 35 / 44
Link to this entry
Voice therapy compared with microlaryngeal surgery in benign vocal fold lesions
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Voice Handicap Index-10 score at three months with videolaryngoscopic appearance
Collection time
15–18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 25–40 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a speech and language therapist able to deliver a defined therapy programme
- microlaryngeal surgery facilities with appropriate instruments
- videolaryngoscopic recordings graded by a masked observer
What derails it
Voice therapy needs the patient to attend weekly for six to eight weeks, and adults in daily wage work will not, so record attendance and treat the therapy arm as delivered doses rather than an allocation.
Topic 36 / 44
Link to this entry
Stage at presentation and interval from first symptom to treatment in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of stage at presentation with the documented interval from first symptom to start of treatment
Collection time
4–5 months of record review over three years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 120–250 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- a cancer register or histopathology archive with staging documented
- records of first consultation and treatment dates
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
The date of first symptom is taken from the patient's recollection at the first visit and is frequently given in round months, so report it as a reported interval and state how it was recorded rather than treating it as precise.
Topic 37 / 44
Link to this entry
Fine needle aspiration cytology of cervical lymphadenopathy against excision biopsy histopathology
DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Sensitivity and specificity of cytology against histopathology for malignant and granulomatous disease
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- cytology reported by the pathology department with adequacy criteria stated
- excision or core biopsy in all enrolled patients
- ultrasound guidance available for deep or small nodes
What derails it
Only nodes that go on to biopsy have a reference standard, and a cytology reporting reactive change usually ends the work-up, so your sample is enriched for abnormal aspirates and that selection must be stated.
Topic 38 / 44
Link to this entry
Tracheostomy in a tertiary unit: indications, complications and decannulation
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of indications with complications and the proportion decannulated during the recorded follow-up
Collection time
3–4 months of record review over three years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–200 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- operative and intensive care records identifying every tracheostomy
- follow-up documentation of decannulation or death
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Most tracheostomies in a teaching hospital are done for intensive care patients whose notes sit in another department, so agree access to those files before you commit, or your series will contain only the ENT cases.
Topic 39 / 44
Link to this entry
Clinical profile, organisms and outcome in deep neck space infections
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Need for surgical drainage and length of hospital stay, with the organism isolated
Collection time
12–15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60–100 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- contrast CT of the neck available on admission
- microbiology support for pus culture including anaerobic processing
- a stated empirical antibiotic protocol
What derails it
Anaerobic culture needs immediate transport in a suitable medium and most units do not have it, so either arrange the medium in advance or state plainly that anaerobes were not sought.
Topic 40 / 44
Link to this entry
Site, type and outcome of aerodigestive tract foreign bodies in children
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of site and type of foreign body with the method of removal and complications
Collection time
3–4 months of record review over three to five years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–200 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- emergency and theatre registers identifying foreign body removals
- radiographs or reports available in the files
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Radiolucent foreign bodies appear in the record only when endoscopy found them, so a series built from radiology requests will miss a whole category; build the sample from the theatre register instead.
Topic 41 / 44
Link to this entry
Mouth opening and symptom change after intralesional corticosteroid with hyaluronidase in oral submucous fibrosis
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Interincisal mouth opening in millimetres at twelve weeks compared with baseline
Collection time
12–15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–80 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a steady outpatient load with clinically staged oral submucous fibrosis
- a vernier caliper or scale used by one observer for all measurements
- counselling support for stopping areca nut use
What derails it
Continued areca nut chewing undoes the treatment and patients will say they have stopped when they have not, so record current use at every visit with a specific question about quantity and source.
Topic 42 / 44
Link to this entry
Clinical profile and management outcome of salivary gland swellings
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of diagnoses on cytology and histopathology with the management undertaken
Collection time
3–4 months of record review over three years
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–150 archived cases, limited by what the period contains
What your unit must already have
- cytology and histopathology archives linked to the clinical records
- ultrasound reports available for most cases
- an ethics waiver for record review
What derails it
Submandibular and parotid pathology differ entirely and combining them produces a distribution that describes neither, so analyse by gland from the outset rather than pooling them for sample size.
Topic 43 / 44
Link to this entry
Asthma symptoms screened by questionnaire among patients with persistent allergic rhinitis
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion screening positive for asthma symptoms with spirometry where available
Collection time
9–12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 200–300 patients, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- a pretested symptom questionnaire in the local language
- spirometry access through pulmonary medicine for those screening positive
- a stated classification of rhinitis severity and persistence
What derails it
A questionnaire-positive patient is not an asthmatic, so the outcome must be stated as screening positive rather than as asthma, and the proportion who actually completed spirometry reported honestly.
Topic 44 / 44
Link to this entry
Auditory performance at one year after cochlear implantation in prelingually deaf children
DesignCohortFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Category of Auditory Performance and Speech Intelligibility Rating at twelve months after switch-on
Collection time
18 months, drawing on children implanted before the study period
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 25–45 children, limited by the implant programme's volume
What your unit must already have
- an established implant programme with funded devices
- auditory verbal therapy the family can actually attend
- a stated schedule of post-implant assessments
What derails it
The hours of auditory verbal therapy the family completes can matter as much as the device, and families who travel from another district attend a fraction of the sessions, so record sessions attended rather than sessions prescribed.

The designs

What each design commits you to

The designs in this ENT (Otorhinolaryngology) register

The design is not a label on the title; it decides your ethics route, your timetable and the test that answers your primary question. Only the designs that appear above are explained here.

Cross-sectional
11 topics
One contact per participant. Usually the quickest to complete, and the design most often chosen when time is short.
Prospective observational
12 topics
Participants are followed after enrolment without allocating an intervention. Ethics approval must precede the first enrolment.
Retrospective
8 topics
Existing records only. Faster, but limited by what was recorded, and a waiver of consent is normally sought from the ethics committee.
Comparative interventional
4 topics
Two or more arms compared. Ethics scrutiny is heavier, and the protocol must state how allocation is handled.
Randomised controlled
2 topics
Allocation is randomised. Prospective interventional studies are registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India before the first participant is enrolled.
Diagnostic accuracy
5 topics
An index test measured against a reference standard. The sample size depends on the expected sensitivity or specificity and the prevalence in your setting.
Case-control
1 topic
Cases and controls compared for prior exposure. Control selection is where these are most often criticised.
Cohort
1 topic
A defined group followed over time. Attrition is the usual threat, so plan for it in the sample size.

What the feasibility mark means

A judgement about a typical teaching unit, not about yours. Confirm the volume, the equipment and the co-operation a topic needs before your synopsis goes in, because after that the timetable stops being negotiable^[2].

Straightforward
27 topics
Achievable in most teaching units with routine caseload and no equipment beyond what is already in use.
Moderate
14 topics
Achievable, but needs either a specific piece of equipment, a collaborating department, or a caseload you should confirm before committing.
Demanding
3 topics
Only take this on if your unit already has the volume, the equipment and the co-operation it needs. Confirm all three before your synopsis goes in.

Next steps

Before you commit to one

What to do with a topic you like

Three steps, in this order. None of them is us: the first is arithmetic, the second is your guide, the third is a search only you can run.

Do the arithmetic
The figure on each plate is a planning range, not an answer. Put your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability you expect, the power you want — into the free sample size calculator, then divide the result by the eligible patients your unit sees in a month and see whether the months you have left permit it.
Take it to your guide
Nothing on this page is approved by anybody. Your guide and your department decide what is feasible in your unit, and your ethics committee decides whether it may start — before the first participant, not before the analysis^[5]. Where your university ordinance is stricter than anything here, the ordinance wins^[1].
Run the search yourself
We make no claim that any question here is novel, under-studied or a gap, because that depends on a literature search run today in your own field. Read what the search returns before you write the introduction, and be ready to say why the question is worth asking in your setting.

What a thesis in this field has to satisfy — the obligations, the statistics and the questions residents ask first — is set out on the ENT (Otorhinolaryngology) page. Other specialties are in the topic bank index, and the method is worked through in the guides.

Undertakings

Mechanisms, not promises

What protects your draft, and who owns the work

Each line below is a mechanism this platform implements or a published instrument it is built around. None of them is a guarantee, and we are affiliated with no regulator or university.

Protection of your work

Row-level security
Every table enforces row-level access. You read your own record, and nothing else.
View-only streaming
Drafts are streamed to you through an authenticated route, not handed over as a file.
Watermarked to you
Every page you read carries your own name and email across it.
Download gated
The final file unlocks when the fee is settled in full, and not before.
Mumbai region · DPDP 2023
Your record and your documents are held in the Mumbai region, so India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 applies to them.
Anonymised data only
We accept no patient identifiers. An NDA is available on request.

How this works

Instruments we work to

NMC PGMER-2023
The thesis obligations set out in the postgraduate medical education regulations.
NBEMS
DNB and DrNB protocol and thesis timelines, and the page limit, as published.
UGC 2018 · <10%
The academic integrity convention we work to on every draft.
ICMJE · Vancouver
Authorship criteria and reference style, applied as published.
No affiliation
We work to these published instruments. We are affiliated to none of the bodies that issue them.

How this works

Authorship and the uniqueness check

Sole author
Mentoring, editing, statistics and compliance. You remain the sole author of your thesis.
Not ghostwriting
We will not write your thesis for you, and we will not be named in it.
MDSoftune
Word-level uniqueness checking, built with REDENN Informatics Inc., Canada.
Every version
Each draft is checked word by word before your university sees it.

How this works

MDThesis is an independent academic mentorship practice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for the NMC, NBEMS, UGC or any university.

Free feasibility call

Tell us where your thesis stands. A senior doctor will tell you what to do next.

A senior doctor replies within one working day. No obligation. MD, MS, DNB, DrNB, DM, MCh, MDS and international programmes.

Request for a feasibility call

No obligation

Reply within one working day · No obligation · Your details are not shared

Prefer to write to us first? Contact the practice. We mentor and edit; you remain the sole author of your thesis.

References

[1]
Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, National Medical Commission. In force 1 January 2024. Thesis requirements at Regulation 5.2. nmc.org.in
[2]
DNB and DrNB thesis guidelines, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. Protocol within 180 days of joining for three-year courses and 90 days for the two-year post-diploma DNB; research study complete by 24 months; thesis by 26 months; 80-page limit inclusive of certificates and annexures. natboard.edu.in
[5]
National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants, 2017, Indian Council of Medical Research. Ethics approval precedes data collection. icmr.gov.in
[6]
Counts of specialties, tracked stages, supported currencies and supported countries are structural facts of this platform, read from its own configuration rather than from a claim.

Document: Topic bank — ENT (Otorhinolaryngology) · Revision 1 · Last reviewed 10 SEPT 2026

Issued by MDThesis, a brand of REDENN Informatics Private Limited

ENT (Otorhinolaryngology) thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for eachENT (Otorhinolaryngology) thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

Graft uptake and air-bone gap closure after type I tympanoplasty with temporalis fascia

Cartilage palisade compared with temporalis fascia graft in type I tympanoplasty

Endoscopic compared with microscopic myringoplasty: graft uptake, operative time and hearing gain

Factors associated with graft failure after tympanoplasty: a case-control comparison

Microbiological profile and antibiotic sensitivity of ear discharge in active mucosal chronic suppurative otitis media

Hearing outcome and disease control after canal wall down mastoidectomy for squamosal chronic otitis media

Preoperative pure tone audiometry against intraoperative ossicular status in chronic suppurative otitis media

High resolution CT of the temporal bone against operative findings in atticoantral chronic otitis media

Clinical and mycological profile of otomycosis and response to topical antifungal treatment

Two-stage otoacoustic emission screening with brainstem response confirmation in neonates with risk factors for hearing loss

Hearing impairment on pure tone screening among primary school children

Pure tone thresholds in workers exposed to occupational noise compared with unexposed office staff

Pure tone thresholds in type 2 diabetes compared with age and sex matched non-diabetic attendants

Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores and audiometric correlates in patients with subjective tinnitus

Conversion of the Dix-Hallpike test and Dizziness Handicap Inventory after the Epley manoeuvre in posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Aetiological profile of patients presenting with vertigo to an ENT outpatient clinic

Hearing recovery after combined systemic and intratympanic corticosteroid treatment in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Air-bone gap closure after small fenestra stapedotomy in otosclerosis

Speech discrimination and self-reported benefit after hearing aid fitting in presbycusis

Change in SNOT-22 score after functional endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis

Lund-Mackay CT score and SNOT-22 score in chronic rhinosinusitis

Intranasal corticosteroid with saline irrigation compared with saline irrigation alone in chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps

Diagnostic nasal endoscopy against CT of the paranasal sinuses in chronic rhinosinusitis

Clinical, radiological and histopathological profile of fungal rhinosinusitis

NOSE scale score before and three months after septoplasty for symptomatic deviated nasal septum

Nasal packing compared with trans-septal quilting sutures after septoplasty

Symptom severity and skin prick test sensitisation pattern in allergic rhinitis

Aetiology and outcome of management in patients presenting with epistaxis

Change in a paediatric sleep-disordered breathing questionnaire score after adenotonsillectomy

Coblation compared with cold steel dissection tonsillectomy: intraoperative blood loss and postoperative pain

Correlation of the clinical indication with tonsillar histopathology in tonsillectomy specimens

STOP-BANG questionnaire against polysomnography in suspected obstructive sleep apnoea

Aetiology of hoarseness on videolaryngoscopy with Voice Handicap Index-10 scores

Causes and documented recovery of unilateral vocal cord palsy

Voice therapy compared with microlaryngeal surgery in benign vocal fold lesions

Stage at presentation and interval from first symptom to treatment in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

Fine needle aspiration cytology of cervical lymphadenopathy against excision biopsy histopathology

Tracheostomy in a tertiary unit: indications, complications and decannulation

Clinical profile, organisms and outcome in deep neck space infections

Site, type and outcome of aerodigestive tract foreign bodies in children

Mouth opening and symptom change after intralesional corticosteroid with hyaluronidase in oral submucous fibrosis

Clinical profile and management outcome of salivary gland swellings

Asthma symptoms screened by questionnaire among patients with persistent allergic rhinitis

Auditory performance at one year after cochlear implantation in prelingually deaf children

What the feasibility mark means

Tell us where your thesis stands. A senior doctor will tell you what to do next.

ENT (Otorhinolaryngology) thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each