A case report of a patient with carcinoma of the rectum with metastasis to the tongue clinically mimicking a primary tongue neoplasm is described. The patient presented with an ulcer in the tongue three years after undergoing an anterior resection for a Dukes C carcinoma of the rectum. Other asymptomatic metastatic lesions were discovered only after the histology report suggested that the tongue ulcer biopsy was metastatic in origin. Metastatic tumour to the tongue is extremely rare and often occurs at a late stage, when there is disseminated disease. We are not aware of any reported case of tongue metastasis from carcinoma of the rectum.

Despite the abundance of minor salivary glands within the larynx, pleomorphic adenomas are rarely found. It is therefore not surprising that there are few reports of malignant mixed tumours in this site. We describe a case of carcinoma arising in a pleomorphic adenoma of the epiglottis which, to our knowledge, has not been described previously.

The patient underwent a horizontal partial laryngectomy and functional neck dissection and is well one year post-operatively. We feel this represents a suitable approach to treatment for this rare tumour.

Granular cell myoblastoma is an unusual benign tumour, which, when occuring in the larynx usually affects the vocal cords and causes hoarseness. We present a case presenting with symptoms strongly suggestive of globus pharyngis.

These tumours probably arise from neuroectodermal tissue, and the current nomenclature is a misnomer. Complete excision rather than biopsy is recommended, as biopsy material may be misinterpreted as squamous carcinoma.

In this case, endoscopic removal of the tumour was successful in producing complete symptomatic relief.

An exceptional case of obscure bleeding in the upper digestive tract caused by an arteriovenous haemangioma of the epiglottis is presented. The clinical details and surgical findings are described.

Idiopathic fibrosis of different areas of the body such as retroperitoneal fibrosis, mediastinal fibrosis, sclerosing cholangitis, Reidel's thyroiditis and pseudo-tumour of the orbit are well recognised entities that manifest individually or in combination. A case of idiopathic fibrosis of the upper aerodigestive tract is presented, which caused dense fibrosis of the floor of mouth, tongue, pharynx and larynx leading to aphonia and severe dysphagia. A permanent tracheostomy was performed and regular bouginage is necessary. This is the first such case reported in the literature.

A fractured tracheostomy tube is a rare complication; cases have been reported in the past, usually associated with prolonged usage in patients with chronic airway obstruction. We present here a fracture occurring in a new tube, and also describe a method for retrieving the tube from the tracheobronchial tree.