Intramuscular vascular lesions in the tongue are rare and are usually the capillary form of haemangioma. A case is described of a lingual mass that resembled intramuscular haemangioma but had unique histological features that do not appear to have been described previously. The term intramuscular capillary hamartoma is suggested to describe it.

We report the first recorded case of a septal perforation caused by Mycobacterium kansasii. This atypical mycobacterium is finding increasing prevalence with the increasing incidence and longevity of human immunodeficiency (HIV) infections. Cases of chest infection, sinusitis, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, pericarditis, brain abscess, cutaneous and oral lesions have all now been reported.This discovery represents a rare but important differential in the aetiology of septal perforation.

Two rare cases of benign submucosal pharyngo-oesophageal mesenchymoma are presented in this paper. One patient was treated by tumour removal via a combined thoracic and laterocervical approach and the other by resection through a laterocervical approach. The paper discusses the pathology and diagnosis of benign mesenchymomas. The authors suggest that for large tumours located in the pharynx and extending down the oesophagus without adhesion to the oesophageal wall, the laterocervical approach can avoid complications associated with the thoracic approach. The new technique caused less tissue damage and provided a quicker recovery and shorter hospitalization.

This case report presents profound unremitting hearing loss in a 76-year-old man after having a bilateral knee replacement. There have been no other cases of permanent post-operative deafness after joint replacement in the world literature. Sudden post-operative deafness is rare. We conclude that this man’s deafness is due to a fat embolism in his auditory circulation.

A case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) with visual field loss was decompressed in the intracanalicular segment of the optic nerve transnasally under endoscopic control. Visual functions improved after surgery.

Ewings’ sarcoma involving the facial bones is rare although it is the second most frequent bone malignancy. For the diagnosis a biopsy is needed. Currently the treatment is the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy with surgery indicated in only a few instances. We report a case of Ewing’s sarcoma of the mandible and describe its clinicopathologic features and the treatment of this disease.

We present a case of a 40-year woman with bilateral parotid salivary gland enlargement as presentation of primary Sjögren’s syndrome. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed parotid cysts, suggestive of cystic benign lymphoepithelial lesions. A sub-labial biopsy confirmed the syndrome. After 24-month follow-up, the left parotid cysts remain the same, whereas other cysts have appeared in the right parotid gland. Parotid involvement in Sjögren’s syndrome is discussed.

Superovulation therapy with in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment may result in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and a hypercoaguable state. The site of thrombus formation is commonly in the upper venous extremities. One case of bilateral internal jugular vein thrombosis following ovarian hyperstimulation is described. The clinical presentation, investigations and management are discussed.

A case of chronic inflammation complicated by Candida infection of the parotid gland in a 50-year-old woman is presented. This eventually proved to be caused by Stensen’s duct obstruction due to an unusual radiolucent foreign body. The process that led to the proper diagnosis is presented and the importance of surgical exploration of the main duct in cases suggesting distal duct obstruction is stressed.

Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis of the upper respiratory tract is a rare disorder of unknown aetiology. Despite characteristic histological findings, the aetiology and management of this lesion remain unclear. We describe a case of nasal eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis and discuss possible demographic and aetiological patterns.

Intractable epistaxis is a difficult problem to manage, particularly in a case complicated by Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This is the first report describing intermittent self-packing of the nasal cavities at home to reduce hospital admissions and control symptoms. Some of the potential problems and complications are highlighted.

Adult epiglottitis is an uncommon disease that may become fatal because of sudden airway obstruction. Recurrent adult epiglottitis has been reported rarely in the literature. We present a case of relapsing epiglottitis in a patient with corticosteroid insufficiency secondary to pituitary surgery. It is the first case to highlight this infection occurring in a relapsing manner in a patient with pituitary-adrenocortical insufficiency on long-term steroid replacement therapy.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common cause of vertigo and may occur following recent head trauma. Bilateral involvement in BPPV is considered rare and has received little attention in the medical literature. We describe an unusual case of bilateral BPPV in a middle-aged woman that presented during a dental implantation, performed with the use of osteotomes. We discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic challenge of this entity.

Rehabilitation of voice and speech after laryngectomy with valve prosthesis has become a well-established practice in recent years. The formation of tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TOF) and the subsequent management of the patient with a voice prosthesis can be associated with a number of problems and complications.

We report a new technique of the use of injectable Bioplastique® in the treatment of persistent leakage around Provox® 2 voice prosthesis. Our experience in two cases has shown that it is a relatively simple and effective procedure in stopping the leak around the valve immediately and is without any short-term complications.

Dual ectopic thyroid is very rare. We report a case of dual ectopic thyroid in the lingual and infrahyoid areas in a 20-year-old female patient with no thyroid gland in its normal anatomical location. On physical examination, there was a 7 × 5 cm anterior midline neck swelling just below the hyoid bone and a 2 × 2 cm mass in the base of the tongue. Triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were normal. A thyroid scan with technetium-99m sodium pertechnate confirmed dual ectopic thyroid with no iodine uptake in the normal anatomical location of the thyroid gland. The infrahyoid ectopic thyroid was surgically removed for cosmetic reasons, and the lingual thyroid, which was symptomatic, was left untouched. The importance of thyroid scanning in the evaluation of anterior midline neck swellings and treatment options are discussed.

Sialolithiasis is a major cause of salivary gland dysfunction. The submandibular gland is the most common site followed by the parotid gland. The sublingual gland and minor glands are very rare sites for stone formation. This paper describes a case of multiple sialoliths arising in the sublingual gland. They presented on the right floor of the mouth. The sublingual gland and sialoliths were completely removed with careful preservation of the lingual nerve and Wharton’s duct. This was an uncommon sialolithiasis of the sublingual gland in a 14-year-old female.

We present a patient with multiple myeloma whose only presenting symptom was stridor caused by a subglottic stenosis. Biopsy suggested the presence of amyloid which prompted immunological investigations that showed hypogammaglobulinaemia and the presence of Bence Jones proteinuria at 0.93 g/24 hours. Further investigation demonstrated a 15 per cent plasma cell infiltrate into the bone marrow and a lytic lesion in the mid-shaft of the right femur. Chemotherapy and localized radiotherapy were commenced. This is a most unusual presentation of multiple myeloma and shows that immunoglobulin profiles should be properly investigated in such cases.

Pleomorphic adenoma arising from the external auditory canal is a very rare neoplasm, and there has been no report on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of pleomorphic adenoma of the external auditory canal. We report here a case of 65-year-old male with this tumour, measuring 12 mm in a diameter. Histopathology was confirmed from the specimen obtained at the surgical excision. MR revealed that the tumour had a well-defined margin showing hypointensity on T1-weighted images and hyperintensity on T2-weighted images relative to the parotid gland. The tumour was well enhanced by contrast material. No invasion to the surrounding tissue was observed. These MR findings were compatible with pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary gland origin. In treating pleomorphic adenoma of the external auditory canal, complete surgical excision is essential for the prevention of recurrence. It can be concluded that MR imaging is helpful for making a differential diagnosis of external auditory canal tumours and selection of adequate treatment.

The histopathological and imaging findings of a rhabdomyoma of the base of the tongue were studied. An immunohistochemical examination of the tumour cells showed positiveimmunostaining for myoglobin, desmin, and striated muscle actin, but negative immunostaining for smooth muscle actin. Electron microscopy showed many glycogen granules and mitochondria in the tumour cells. The T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (MRI) clearly delineated morphological features of this tumour, but T1-weighted MRI and computed tomography (CT) images showed no important features. These findings are typical for an adult extracardiac rhabdomyoma located in the head and neck region, and they will be useful for diagnosis of this tumour.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the larynx is very rare, with only a few individual cases or studies in small patient groups reported in the literature. Treatment modalities for this type of carcinoma are not uniform; in addition, errors in the recognition and pathologic diagnosis are not uncommon. During the period 1991–2000, 771 cases of malignant laryngeal tumours were recorded and histologically verified at the University Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery, Zagreb University Hospital Centre, three of them were mucoepidermoid supraglottic carcinomas. The experience acquired in the treatment of these tumours is presented along with a review of the literature.