Numbers play a great role in our practice of laryngology, and when used appropriately can be extremely valuable. However, careless or uncritical use may cause them to be an impediment or detriment to clinical practice and teaching. Examples of problems which arise with numbers are readily found in the areas of tumor staging (TNM system), the scientific literature, resident training and communications with third-party agencies. Consideration of these examples reminds us of the need to evaluate our use of numbers frequently.
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