A rare case of a schwannoma localized on the posterior pharyngeal wall is presented. It concerns a young man with an inflammatory ulcerated mass in the posterior wall of the pharynx causing severe difficulty in swallowing.

Although schwannomas of the lateral pharyngeal wall are common, only one case located on the posterior wall has been described. The origin of these tumours at this particular site is thought to be the sympathetic nervous plexus of the posterior pharyngeal wall.

In presenting our case, we comment on the origin of posterior pharyngeal wall schwannomas.

Tumors of smooth muscle origin are rare in the oral cavity. To date, only eighty-three cases of oral leiomyomas have been reported. A first case of tonsillar leiomyoma in a 73-year-old male is presented. The theories of origin and the various histologic types of oral leiomyomas are discussed. Leiomyoma can easily be confused with other spindle-cell tumours. Special stains are necessary to reach a correct diagnosis. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate benign leiomyoma from malignant leiomyosarcoma. The use of mitotic figure count to indicate malignant behaviour is not always reliable. The need for wide surgical excision of the tumour, complete sectioning and examination of the specimen and meticulous follow-up of the patient for evidence of recurrence are emphasized.

Syndromes of oro-mandibular-skeletal anomalies are confusing by their ambiguous and overlapping components. It is our purpose to bring attention to a case comprising a group of anomalies: bifid mandibular condyle, asymmetric contralateral ascending ramus of the mandible, supernumerary nipples (polythelia), supernumerary-rudimentary postaxial sixth fingers and clinodactyly. The associated malformations presented do not correspond to any previous report. The case may therefore represent a new malformation syndrome.

An unusual presentation of diffuse meningeal melanosis with involvement of the temporal bones, the spheno-ethmoidal complex, the pharynx and the viscera is reported.

Salivary gland neoplasms in childhood and adolescence are rare, especially in the minor salivary glands. Vasoformative tumours and pleomorphic adenomas appear to be the most common benign neoplastic salivary gland lesions in the pediatric age group. The distribution of various malignant histological types is not always consistent with that in the adult population, and they appear more often in girls than in boys. Only 17 cases have previously been documented. The clinical and histological picture of a case of palatal mucoepidermoid carcinoma in a 13-year-old girl is presented as well as a review of the literature on malignant salivary gland tumours in childhood.

A study of sixty patients with basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck region carried out over a six-year period (1979–1985) is hereby presented. Sixteen (26.72 percent) were albinos and 44 (73.28 per cent) negroids. Forty-eight (80 per cent) were outdoor workers. The negroid patients presented between the 3rd and 4th decades while the albinos presented a decade earlier. The commonest site involved in the head and neck was the forehead. The midface showed the highest recurrence rate in both groups, even after adequate excision. The frequency of recurrence in tumours presenting with a size of 2–5 cm. diameter was significantly higher in the albinos than in the negroid (P<0.05), whereas, with tumours of a size larger than 5 cm., there was no statistically significant difference between the albino and the negroid. However, the overall recurrence rate was significantly higher in the albinos (P<0.005). The mortality among the albinos was 25 per cent while there were no deaths in the negroid Africans.

Dysphagia due to cervical osteophytes is not common. However, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) with cervical involvement which causes dysphagia is even rarer. The otolaryngologist is not generally familiar with this entity. The diagnosis can be made by plain cervical X-ray films, a barium swallowing esophagogram and or a CT scan of the neck. When doubt still exists, further extra-axial X-ray films can be helpful. Although most patients have been treated surgically, there may be a role for conservative therapy initially, as surgery in elderly DISH patients is often morbid and even fatal.

A 79-year-old patient with DISH (Forestier's disease) is reported. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory therapy was successfully implemented. DISH is compared with other disorders of the cervical spine which may cause dysphagia.