We describe a patient who developed upper respiratory tract symptoms following long-term treatment of Wilson's disease with penicillamine. These symptoms were attributed to areas of pharyngeal thickening and were treated with a laser. Histological examination of the lesions showed proliferations of abnormal elastic fibres similar to those previously described at other sites, especially the skin, in patients receiving penicillamine. This drug impairs the maturation and reduces the stability of elastic fibres and although elastic tissue throughout the body is affected, we are aware of no previous reports of penicillamine- induced changes presenting with upper respiratory tract symptoms.

Endolaryngeal spread of laryngeal malignant tumours is usually determined by conventional endoscopy; however, it can not measure the outward extension of the tumour. As an alternative method for assessing the extension of a tumour and detecting metastatic lymph nodes, we have introduced high-resolution ultrasonography (US) in 34 patients with laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma. The ultrasonographic results were compared with the clinical, operative and histological findings. The ultrasonography revealed malignant extensions in the thyroid cartilage in nine cases, in the carotid artery in four cases, and in the thyroid gland in five cases. These were confirmed by surgical and histopathological examinations. Six patients out of the 34 were subclinical cases, who had metastatic lymph nodes, which were diagnosed by US only. In this study US had a sensitivity of 94.44 per cent and a specificity of 93.75 per cent. The sensitivity and specificity of palpation of the cervical lymph nodes were 66.66 per cent and 87.55 per cent respectively.

It may be concluded that high-resolution real-time US is a sensitive, simple and inexpensive method for evaluating laryngeal cancers and subclinical cervical lymph node metastasis.

A rare case of a 71 -year-old man with malignant oncocytoma is presented. The tumour was found in the left parotid region with enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. The resected parotid mass consisted of three discrete nodules, each histologically characterized by a uniform proliferation of oncocytic tumour cells. The patient underwent repeated operations for recurrences and metastases, and eventually died of acute pneumonia 18 months after the first admission. Metastases to the lymph nodes, ribs, spine and liver had been clinically pointed out. Immunohistochemically, the tumour cells were positive for a-1-antitrypsin, a-1-antichymotrypsin, lactoferrin, secretory component and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), while they were negative for S-100 protein and HHF35 (muscle specific actin). Ultrastructural pictures disclosed numerous mitochondria in the cytoplasm of the tumour cells, revealing neither myofibrils nor secretory granules. These findings therefore support the concept that this tumour is of a glandular epithelial origin.

Ossifying fibromyxoid tumour (OFT) is a recently described, mesenchymal neoplasm originally defined as a borderline or low-grade malignant lesion. Prior reports of OFT characterize it as a slow growing lesion with a propensity to occur in both the upper and lower extremities. Most OFTs have occurred within the deep subcutis or skeletal muscle. We report nine cases which arose in the head and neck region. Six of the nine tumours were classified as ossifying variants of OFT while two were non-ossifying variants that lacked a discernable shell of lamellar bone. One tumour was classified as a malignant OFT. Seven lesions occurred in a subcutaneous site while two lesions occurred intraorally beneath the gingival and palatal mucosa. The OFTs occurred in six men and three women (age range of 29–75 years). The tumours had histological features compatible with previously described OFTs and consisted of lobulated nests of small, cytologically bland round cells (with the exception of one malignant OFT), with a myxoid to hyalinized stroma and were surrounded in part by dense fibrous connective tissue. Six cases had an incomplete rim of lamellar bone with occasional perpendicularly orientated spicules of bone. Five lesions were immunostained. S-100 protein, neuron specific enolase, and Leu-7 were found in three out of five tumours. Glial fibrillary acidic protein, smooth muscle actin (SMA), and muscle specific actin (MSA) were detected in two out of five lesions, although staining for SMA and MSA was weak in reactivity. Staining for vimentin was strongly positive in all five cases tested. The tumours were not reactive with antibodies directed against cytokeratin, epithelial membrance antigen or neurofilament protein. Follow-up information, available in eight cases, revealed multiple local recurrences in the one tumour believed to be a malignant OFT. The histogenesis of these tumours is uncertain, although the preponderance of evidence suggests a Schwann cell origin.