A case of spontaneous haemorrhage into the retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal space secondary to bleeding from a thyroid cyst is described. While many conditions are known to cause this entity, no previous papers have reported a thyroid cyst to cause such extensive haemorrhage. Haemorrhage in these spaces is of particular importance as it causes rapid airway compromise and can be life-threatening. Forty cases of non-traumatic retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal haematomas have been reported in the literature to date. Although the diagnosis can be easily established in most patients, no published review of this condition exists. This paper reviews all reports of non-traumatic retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal haematoma published in the literature to date and discusses management guidelines. We also present here for the first time the demographics and treatment results of this rare entity.

Mite infestation of the ear is an unusual clinical problem that is easily cured with simple measures and recurrent infestation has not been reported till date. We present here a patient who developed recurrent infestation of otherwise healthy mastoid cavities with the storage mite Caloglyphus berlesei, secondary to occupational exposure. This kind of recurrent mite infestation of the ear has not been described before.

Patients with advanced and recurrent laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer often need combined therapy, which is associated with greater morbidity than single modality treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life in laryngectomees and to assess whether differences exist between the irradiated and the non-irradiated patients. The University of Michigan Head and Neck Quality of Life questionnaire, a validated instrument for assessing the head and neck cancer related functional status and well-being, was used for this purpose. Subjects for the study included patients who had undergone total laryngectomy for laryngeal or hypophyarngeal squamous cancer. No significant difference between the groups was evident in the various domain scores, although a trend towards higher scores was seen in the combined therapy group. This study suggests that long-term side effects induced by radiotherapy do not adversely affect the quality of life in laryngectomised patients.

Spontaneous temporal meningoencephaloceles are rare entities and diagnostic difficulties can occur. We present two cases whose presentation was atypical and diagnosis delayed by the presence of dual pathology.

We present a case of oral ulceration in a patient with essential thrombocythaemia, that proved to be secondary to treatment with hydroxyurea. This complication has not yet been reported in the ENT literature. Hydroxyurea should be considered as a possible cause of persistent oral ulceration in patients with haematological conditions. It should be noted that the onset of this complication is not related to the dose and duration of therapy.