FIBROUS dysplasia is a peculiar clinical entity, which is of interest to the Otolaryngologist, because at times it involves one of the paranasal sinuses. Fibrous dysplasia of the bone is the name applied by Lichtenstein (1938) to a polyostotic or monostotic condition apparently due to a perverted activity of the specific bone-forming mesenchyme. It is most frequently localized in the femur, tib...

Palatopharyngeal dysfunction may take place when palatopharyngeal valve is unable to perform its own closing due to a lack of tissue (palatopharyngeal insufficiency) or lack of proper movement (palatopharyngeal incompetence). Palatopharyngeal insufficiency induces nasal regurgitation of liquids, hypernasal speech, nasal escape, disarticulations and impaired speech intelligibility. Prosthetic ma...

Cough is the most common presenting complaint in adults seeking medical treatment in an ambulatory setting. Chronic cough (persisting greater than 3 weeks) can be associated with myriad diseases that may overlap multiple medical specialties. For this reason, a thorough assessment of the patient with chronic cough relies on a multidisciplinary approach and close cooperation between pulmonary med...

Our department recently received a letter of referral from an otolaryngologist concerning a 31-year-old Caucasian male with inoperable (T4N2c) squamous cell cancer of the base of his tongue. According to this letter, a brother of the patient had died from early-onset cancer of the soft palate a few years ago. The patient and his two healthy siblings were referred with the question whether or no...

Congenital absence of lacrimal puncta may be an isolated finding or associated with other developmental abnormality. Nasolacrirnal ducts can be absent thus predisposing to the formation of a congenital lacrimal mucocele. Punctal and canalicular agenesis is very rare. Four percent of new patients attending the lacrimal clinic at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK. from 1981 to 1990 inclusive we...

In addition to their role in chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal congestion, sinonasal polyps are associated with significant nasal obstruction. Effective long-term treatments remain difficult to pinpoint. Management of these polyps is a difficult challenge for the contemporary otolaryngologist. Medical options vary and include topical and oral steroids; macrolide antibiotics; diuretic nasal washe...

Culture-based pathogen identification in skull base osteomyelitis, particularly for fungi, is often inaccurate. We report the case of patient with fungal skull base osteomyelitis cured by sustained antifungal therapy after 16 months of debilitating illness. Due to medical complications, a strong clinical rationale was needed to justify long-term antifungal therapy. The offending fungus was iden...

Structural anomalies of the styloid chain were described more than 300 years ago by anatomists. In 1937, the American otolaryngologist Watt W. Eagle wrote a series of reports on this subject and its clinical significance. Because of his interest, the symptoms related to the anomalies of the stylohyoid chain became known as Eagle’s syndrome. Eagle himself acknowledged 3 other surgeons who identi...

Benign tumors of the tonsils occur infrequently. Lymphangiomas are rare congenital tumors of the lymphatic system, and tonsillar lymphangioma is an extremely rare occurrence. Its pathogenesis is uncertain, but history, clinical examination, and histological examination should establish the diagnosis. We present a 17-year-old white male with lymphangioma of the right tonsil. The tonsils were exc...