Benign vascular lesions include various forms whose classification has created some controversies in the literature. The observation of a rare case of vascular bulge of the eardrum in a 57-year-old man prompted us to analyse the essential features of these lesions. This was an incidental finding and the mass was removed by a transcanal approach. The patient is free of disease four years later. Vascular malformations can be differentiated from vascular tumours since they are present at birth, are generally stable, do not involute, and do not necessitate treatment unless symptoms occur.

Invasive fungal mastoiditis is a rare entity, seen almost entirely in immunocompromized patients. It has been reported primarily in patients with leukaemia and more recently with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A literature search revealed only a few reports in diabetic patients, in whom the invasive fungus was identified as mucormycosis in all cases. We report the first case in the English literature of invasive septate fungal mastoiditis in a diabetic patient with intact tympanic membranes.

We report a case of a large maxillary sinus mucocele in a 14-year-old girl presenting with epiphora, proptosis and dental pain. This was marsupialized endoscopically, with complete resolution of symptoms over three months’ follow up. The literature is reviewed.

Severe stridor of recent onset is a challenge to deal with because of the lack of investigations on which to base the management plan. We describe a case of an elderly lady who presented to us with a short history of severe stridor. We encountered unanticipated difficulties with tracheostomy under local anaesthesia as the thyroid was replaced by a diffuse mass and the airway had to be secured by an awake fibre-optic intubation. Awake fibre-optic intubation is thought to be a relative contraindication in acute upper airway obstruction, but occasionally tracheostomy under local anaesthesia may not be possible and in experienced hands an awake fibre-optic intubation is a reasonable alternative.

We present a rare case of tracheostomy for removal of laryngeal foreign bodies consisting of three connected fish vertebral bones in a 15-month-old girl. Recent endoscopic techniques have made it possible to extract nearly all tracheobronchial foreign bodies with rigid bronchoscopes. However, the three connected foreign bodies in this report could not be extracted entirely by single endoscopy because the glottis as an exit was narrow due to severe oedema. Accordingly, tracheostomy was required to assist ventilation, prevent prolonged post-operative endotracheal intubation, remove the secondary tracheal foreign bodies and to provide a conduit for the introduction of a bronchoscope.

This suggests that tracheostomy should be considered to avoid the potential dangers of severe laryngeal oedema and to secure the route for removal of foreign bodies from the trachea when treating patients with multiple laryngeal foreign bodies and laryngeal oedema.

Thyroid hemiagenesis is a rare abnormality in which one thyroid lobe fails to develop. Most of the patients diagnosed have an associated thyroid disease. We report the case of a 32-year-old woman who presented with a left thyroid mass which had been gradually increasing in size over a period of two years. A thyroid scan revealed the absence of the right thyroid lobe and isthmus, and a hypoactive nodule was evident in the lower pole of the left lobe. Ultrasonography confirmed the right lobe and the isthmus agenesis. The operative findings confirmed hemiagenesis of the right lobe and nodular hyperplasia in the left lobe.

The purpose of this report is to present a patient with hemiagenesis of the thyroid gland who concomitantly had nodular hyperplasia; we also stress the importance of pre-operative differentiation between benign lesions and malignancy in order to aid critical decision making and to facilitate preservation of thyroid function if possible.

Head and neck cancers usually spread first to the regional lymph nodes but rarely may metastasize to distant sites. Metastasis to distant lymph node groups is a rare event. Furthermore, delayed multiple metastases without local recurrence is relatively uncommon. A case of retroperitoneal metastasis from a squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, secreting beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG), is reported.

A 58-year-old man had undergone a tonsillectomy and chemo-radiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil and 13 months later presented with non-specific abdominal pain. The serum β-hCG levels were high and an abdominal ultrasound scan revealed hydronephrosis on the left side. A computed tomography scan demonstrated para-aortic retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. The patient underwent an open lymph node biopsy. The initial pathological analysis was interpreted as extra-gonadal germ cell tumour and the patient received chemotherapy. A subsequent review was consistent with a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, as immunohistochemical studies showed positive staining for epithelial membrane antigen and cytokeratins 5/6 but a negative reaction to placental alkaline phosphatase. Following this, the chemotherapy regimen was changed; however, a restaging scan demonstrated progression, and the patient died from aspiration pneumonia secondary to alcohol intoxication.

To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of retroperitoneal metastasis from a squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, secreting β-hCG and causing hydronephrosis. This case highlights the necessity of using clinical, histological, immunohistological and ultrastructural examination to establish precise diagnosis and to avoid inappropriate treatment.

Arachnoid cysts are benign cysts occurring in the intra-arachnoid space and containing cerebrospinal fluid. They constitute approximately 1 per cent of all intracranial masses. They are uncommon in the posterior cranial fossa. Common presenting symptoms include headaches, seizures, focal neurologic signs and vague dizziness. Magnetic resonance imaging is the preferred method of investigation, and the treatment for symptomatic cysts is generally surgical drainage.

We report the unusual presentation of a young patient with a posterior fossa arachnoid cyst that manifested in the form of isolated unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The patient underwent posterior fossa craniotomy and marsupialization of the cyst. To our knowledge, posterior fossa arachnoid cyst presenting with isolated hearing loss alone has not been reported in the English literature. A review of the literature pertaining to posterior fossa arachnoid cysts, including the clinical features, diagnosis and management, is also presented.

Mitomycin C is part of the mitomycin group of antibiotics and has found use in medicine in the treatment of various cancers, including those of the head and neck. In recent years, it has gained popularity as a topical treatment to prevent scar formation in the larynx and choanae in paediatric and adult inflammatory processes. Also, this alkylating agent is potentially a potent carcinogen. We report the first case in the world literature of laryngeal carcinoma in a non-smoking adult, which may have been induced by topical mitomycin C application to a glottic web. We discuss the mechanism of action of this drug, and we advise caution on its use for benign laryngeal pathologies.

Tonsillectomy is one of the commonest procedures performed in the United Kingdom. Peri-operative infiltration of local anaesthetic is a well documented adjunct to post-operative analgesia. We report the first case of temporary Horner's syndrome in a patient who received such treatment and postulate an anatomical explanation.

The sensation of a foreign body in the throat when swallowing is a common and very discomforting symptom for those who experience it. Common causes are gastroesophageal reflux disease and possibly upper oesophageal dysmotility. This complaint may be dismissed as psychogenic when a cause for the problem is not readily apparent.

We present two cases in which the patient had a foreign body sensation in the throat, associated with a dry swallow. The most helpful diagnostic procedure was careful examination of the hypopharynx and neck and flexible fibre-optic rhinolaryngoscopy. One case was treated with surgery of the neck and larynx to trim the medially projecting superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage. Surgery was successful in eliminating the symptoms.

Although an uncommon finding, our experience is that symptoms due to a medially displaced thyroid cornu should be considered in the differential diagnosis as an important and surgically correctable cause of persistent foreign body sensation at the hyoid level in the neck.