Ni-Ankh-Sekhmet has always been referred to as the first rhinologist in history. Translations of the hieroglyphics depicted on all the illustrations accompanying previous publications do not substantiate this claim. The research presented is a result of an investigation of the original monument related to the doctor at its present location in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. The research proves that Ni-Ankh-Sekhmet was the first rhinologist in history.

The purpose of this questionnaire study was to evaluate the existing knowledge of binaural hearing and the attitudes and practices of prescribing bilateral hearing aids amongst otolaryngologists in the United Kingdom. Of the 950 questionnaires sent to the current members of the British Association of Otolaryngologists and Head and Neck Surgeons (BAO-HNS), there were 591 respondents (62 per cent). The true response rate with completed questionnaires was 59 per cent. Eighty-one per cent of the respondents were aware of the importance of binaural hearing and had a positive attitude towards binaural fitting. The practice of bilateral hearing aid prescriptions was found to be poor amongst all grades on the NHS (less than 10 per cent of all hearing aid prescriptions). This practice in the private sector was variable, dependent largely on patient preference and affordability. The practice of binaural prescription was higher for patients in the paediatric age group than amongst adults. Two common indications for hearing aid prescriptions for unilateral deafness were otitis media with effusion in children (23 per cent of respondents) and for tinnitus masking in adults (12 per cent of respondents). Many otolaryngologists believed that there was not enough evidence to support bilateral bone-anchored hearing aid implantation and bilateral cochlear implantation. Ninety-four per cent of the respondents believed that binaural hearing was as important as binocular vision.

A case of primary herpes of the head and neck is presented. The exact source of infection and the precise diagnosis proved difficult to establish, but evidence tended to support a diagnosis of varicella zoster infection as opposed to a herpes simplex infection, though a dual infection was not ruled out.

Herpes simplex has specific clinical features which usually make its distinction from varicella zoster clear cut. In this case we relied heavily on laboratory investigations to improve the accuracy of our diagnosis since the clinical characteristics were blurred.

Unlike varicella zoster there has been little written about herpes simplex infections specifically affecting the ear, face and neck.

We present a case of juvenile xanthogranuloma of the external ear canal in a 51-year-old woman and a review of the literature.

The Birmingham Mummy is of a warrior, 25–35 years of age, from the Graeco-Roman period. He was struck from the front by an arrow, which penetrated the soft tissues of the neck to some depth and lodged in the right infratemporal fossa. It is suggested that the wound became infected and that muscle spasm induced the torticollis which was not fully corrected on mummification.

A case of carcinoma of the lung with a metastasis on the tongue is presented. The case is of interest because, although primary carcinomas of the tongue are fairly common accounting for 50 per cent of all oral carcinomas, metastatic tumour represents only one per cent of all malignant tumours of the oral cavity and of these only 0.2 per cent metastasize to the tongue.

Myxomas are rare tumours which may occur in the head and neck region. About 60 cases have been reported in the literature so far. We describe a retropharyngeal myxoma in this paper.

Seventy patients with nasal polyps were studied. Forty-seven of these had pre-operative sinusradiographs and all seventy patients had antral washouts at the time of nasal polypectomy. One hundred and seventeen antral aspirates were sent for culture and microscopy. The naked eyeappearance of aspirates were turbid in 34 patients. Bacteria were cultured from 15 of the specimens in 10 patients.

It was concluded that antral washout should be recommended in all patients who have nasal polypectomy and that there is no need for sinus radiographs in those patients who have uncomplicated nasal polyps.