Neurological complications following turbinate surgery are relatively rare. We present here an unusual complication of unilateral partial oculomotor and trigeminal nerve palsy after bilateral inferior turbinectomies. The probable aetiological mechanism is discussed.

Fistulae between major vessels in the head and neck are uncommon. In both civilian and wartime reports, the total number of traumatic arterio–venous fistulae in head and neck region account for less than four per cent of all arterial injuries. Fourteen cases of congenital communication between the external carotid artery and external or internal jugular vein have been reported. We report and discuss the management of a case of ruptured carotico–jugular fistula secondary to infection which presented as acute upper airway obstruction. This appears to be the first description of such a case in the literature.

Osteoblastoma is a benign bone lesion that mainly affects the long bones and rarely the temporal bones. Very few cases have been reported in the literature. This paper reviews the literature, discusses the differential diagnosis, clinical presentation, and CT scan findings of such a condition and details our experience with a young patient who had a temporal bone (mastoid process) osteoblastoma.

An oncocytic mucoepidermoid carcinoma and an oncocytic pleomorphic adenoma occurred in a 47-year-old male and a 75-year-old female, respectively. Both presented as asymptomatic parotid gland masses without evidence of facial nerve paralysis and were treated by superficial parotidectomy. There has been no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. Oncocytic change is rare in major salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma with only two previously reported cases. Marked oncocytic transformation of pleomorphic adenomas can cause their confusion with oncocytomas. Recognition of oncocytic differentiation in various salivary gland tumours is important to avoid misclassification of these lesions.