Parapharyngeal space tumours, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management

A series of 6 cases of Parapharyngeal space tumours is reported. Of the total, 4 [66%] were benign schwanomas. The incidence of malignant tumours in this study is 33%. The commonest mode of clinical presentation was painless mass in the lateral wall of pharynx with or without a contagious swelling below the angle of mandible. Pain, trismus and cranial nerve palsies indicated malignancy. Amongst the investigations M.R.I. is of special interest. In case No. 5 cross-circulation in angiograms helped us in deciding to simultaneously ligate both internal and external carotids. This has been done in some series published elsewhere but not in Pakistan

Traumatic facial paralysis, causes and management

A series of 13 cases of traumatic facial paralysis is presented. The cases are almost equally distributed between temporal bone fractures and iatrogenic causes. Damage is seen in supralabyrinthine part and genicular area in cases with temporal bone trauma. Damage is common at the junction between the horizontal and vertical parts in iatrogenic cases occurring as a complication of mastoid surgery. In follow up of 3 years all showed recovery up to a varying degree except 2 cases