The loss of a scalpel or a needle during surgery can threaten the health of the patient and lead to additional costs, and radiographical assistance during surgery has been the only recovery method. This study evaluates the efficacy of a metal detector compared with conventional radiology for recovering a needle lost in the oropharynx during surgery.

Different fragment sizes of needles normally used in pharyngoplasty were embedded at different locations and depths in a lamb's head. Three experienced and three junior otolaryngologists searched for the needle fragments using a metal detector and conventional radiology.

All fragments were found with each method, but the mean searching time was 90 per cent shorter with the metal detector.

A metal detector can be a useful tool for locating needles that break during ENT surgery, as it requires less time than conventional radiology and avoids exposing patients to radiation.

To determine differences in insomnia, depression and anxiety between ENT patients with benign and malignant conditions prior to and after an urgent suspicion of cancer appointment.

Out-patients with urgent suspicion of cancer completed three psychometric questionnaires prior to their appointment and at two to four weeks post-diagnosis.

There was no significant difference in questionnaire scores between malignant and benign patients prior to the patients’ appointments (p > 0.05 for all questionnaires). In benign patients, there was significant improvement in scores for all questionnaires (p < 0.01) and in malignant patients there was significant worsening of scores for all questionnaires (p < 0.01) at follow-up appointments.

Prior to appointments, patients with benign and malignant conditions experienced similar levels of insomnia, depression and anxiety. Following diagnosis, cancer patients had significantly poorer scores, indicating worsening of these symptoms. In patients with benign diagnoses, all questionnaire scores improved, indicating resolution of their symptoms and possible association between the appointment and their baseline scores.

This study associated Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and other clinical parameters with five-year survival of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.

A total of 140 patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma were enlisted. HPV status and subtypes were established through polymerase chain reaction performed in a previously published study. Clinical data including five-year survival were obtained through institutional medical records.

Ninety-five patients (67.9 per cent) were positive for HPV. Of these, 85 patients were HPV 16 positive while 2 patients were HPV 18 positive. The mean survival time for HPV positive patients was 44.3 months, whereas survival time for HPV negative patients was 46.9 months. Univariate analysis showed that HPV status in oral squamous cell carcinoma was not a statistically significant factor in determining five-year survival rate (p = 0.386).

There is a high prevalence of HPV positive oral squamous cell carcinoma in Pakistan; however, there is no difference in the five-year survival rate when compared to HPV negative oral squamous cell carcinoma.