An unusual presentation of acute tonsillitis complicated by retropharyngeal and thyroid abscess is reported. Spontaneous rupture of retropharyngeal abscess resulted in necrotic fistulae between the pharyngeal wall and the retropharyngeal space.

Vascular tumours rarely affect the oropharynx and overall they can represent a diagnostic challenge since their clinico-histopathological patterns are not always clear.

This case report, of an isolated pharyngeal vascular proliferation, allowed the authors to analyse the similarities and differences between Kaposi’s sarcoma and spindle-cell haemangioendothelioma. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of diagnostic tools, such as the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) marker, that sometimes may represent the only reliable test for clearly establishing the diagnosis.

Congenital dermoid cysts of the floor of the mouth are relatively rare but when they occur, they do so inevitably in the midline. We present a case of a true lateral dermoid cyst of this region without any intra-oral extension. We discuss the anatomical and histological classification of dermoid cysts within the floor of the mouth.