Two cases of cervicofacial actinomycosis, resulting in submandibular swelling, are presented. How actinomycosis may present under the guise of malignancy is well demonstrated.

Factors predisposing to the condition, difficulties with diagnosis, isolation methods of the causative organism and treatment of the disease, are discussed.

Metastatic tumours involving the head and neck region are rare. Over the past 18 years, seven such cases were treated at our clinic. Of those, four were in one of the paranasal sinuses, three had arisen from a primary hepatocellular carcinoma and one from an osteogenic fibrosarcoma of the leg. In the remaining three cases, metastases to the larynx, the tonsil, and the parotid gland arose from a primary renal cell carcinoma, a thyroid carcinoma, and a breast carcinoma, respectively. In metastatic tumours, the primary site can often be identified by the histopathological features. Accordingly, when malignant head and neck tumours are suspected of being metastatic in character, it is important to search carefully for the primary site.

Carcinoma in the thyroglossal duct remnant is relatively uncommon. Since the first report by Uchermann (1915), more than 150 cases of carcinoma have been reported, and the majority have been papillary thyroid carcinomas (Li Volsi etal., 1974; McNicol etal., 1988). In this report, we present a case of papillary carcinoma in the thyroglossal duct with a normal thyroid gland

A rare undifferentiated carcinoma with lymphoid stroma (UCLS) of the parotid gland is described in a white Turkish patient. The raised serum IgG to Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen suggests a causal relationship between Epstein-Barr virus and this type of salivary gland carcinoma. Some clinical features are briefly reviewed.

The experiences of an otological surgical team during a brief visit to northern Romania are discussed. The importance of careful assessment of local deficiencies and needs is emphasized and sources of funding and equipment for use during such a trip are discussed.