Papillary carcinoma arising in a thyroglossal duct cyst is a rare finding. Less than 100 cases have been reported in the English literature. In most cases the diagnosis is only established after excision of a clinically benign thyroglossal duct cyst. The aetiology of such tumours is unclear but de novo origin and spread from a primary thyroid gland tumour has been suggested. This has important implications for therapeutic approaches. A further case of thyroglossal duct carcinoma is presented and the management is discussed on the basis of the current rationale for treatment of thyroid cancer.

A case of primary malignant melanoma of the pharynx is presented. Mucosal melanomas of the upper respiratory tract are rare. They tend to present late and therefore the prognosis is generally poor. The initial mainstay of treatment is adequate surgical resection. Prognostic factors are less well documented than in cutaneous melanoma

The number of mast cells in the inferior turbinate from patients with perennial allergy due to house dust mite were compared with ten normal controls. Ten random high powered fields were counted in the epithelium and the submucosa in samples which had been divided into two and fixed either in aqueous formaim or Carnoy's fixative. The sections from each block were stained with either Azure A or Chloroacetate esterase technique. No statistical differences were found. The lack of increase in mast cell numbers was attributed to degranulation since numbers have been shown to be increased in perennial allergy when sections are examined ultrastructurally.

An unusual case of cryptococcosis of the larynx is described in a non-immunocompromised patient. To our knowledge this is the second reported case in the literature.

Aspirates were obtained from 142 masses in 120 patients who presented with palpable swellings in the head and neck region. 120 specimens (84.51 per cent) were adequate for diagnostic purposes and the remaining 22 (15.49 per cent) were unsatisfactory. Final diagnosis was based on resection histology in 87 cases and close clinical follow-up in 55 patients. The overall sensitivity and specificity including unsatisfactory aspirates was 81.37 per cent and 93 per cent respectively (if the technically inadequate specimens were deleted 98.81 per cent and 94.44 per cent). In comparison with the final diagnosis typing of malignant tumours was possible in 58.33 per cent. The correct diagnosis was made in 63.89 per cent of benign lesions.

Dissection of lymphatic nodes in the neck—whether radical or partial, functional or prophylactic—forms an integral part of the surgical management of cancer of the head and neck. Accurate orientation and fixation of the surgical specimen is a prerequisite for correct histopathological study of the extent of the disease and for a complete clinicopathological interpretation, which is of significant therapeutic and prognostic importance.