In this study, we evaluated the vestibular symptoms and degree of vestibular dysfunction in patients with mumps-associated sensorineural hearing loss (mumps deafness). Fifteen patients, diagnosed with mumps deafness, underwent vestibular testing (caloric testing, cervical VEMP 〔cVEMP〕 testing and ocular VEMP 〔oVEMP〕 testing). Six of the fifteen patients (40%) complained of vestibular symptoms after mumps infection and eight patients (53%) had vestibular lesions based on the results of caloric testing or cVEMP testing, or both, in the same ear as the hearing loss. A comparison of patients complaining of vestibular symptoms with those without vestibular symptoms revealed that vestibular dysfunction was more frequent in the patients with vestibular symptoms (83%) than in those without symptoms (33%). Due to the high frequency of vestibular lesions in patients with mumps deafness, vaccination against mumps should be recommended to prevent mumps-associated vestibular dysfunction as well as hearing loss.

A 48-year-old man with a history of congenital kidney hypoplasia and hearing loss was referred to our hospital. He had congenital auris fistula and bilateral cervical fistula with a small amount of exudate. The auris fistula had been excised at the department of plastic surgery two months earlier. He had then been admitted to our department for the treatment of the bilateral cervical fistula. The cervical fistula was open at the level of the inferior thyroid cartilage and the anterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Computed tomography (CT) was performed after contrast agent was injected via the orifice of fistula. Imaging revealed that the fistula ended outside of the hyoid bone and the tonsillar fossa, with no connection to the pharyngeal space. Three-dimensional CT revealed the structure of the fistula stereoscopically, including its branches. Under general anesthesia, the bilateral cervical fistula was completely removed without injury. The postoperative course was uneventful. It is important to consider branchio-oto-renal syndrome in cases of congenital deafness or branchiogenic malformation, as the early diagnosis can predict complications with kidney disease. Three-dimensional CT was useful for the morphological evaluation and preoperative simulation in the present case.

Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) -related disease was first proposed in relation to autoimmune pancreatitis in 2001, and is characterized by an elevated serum concentration of IgG4 and tissue infiltration by IgG4-positive plasma cells. We herein report a case of IgG4-related periarteritis of the left temporal arteries. A 60-year-old patient visited our hospital complaining of a tumorous lesion in his left temporal region. The local findings showed the formation of tumor in the left temporal region ; the tumor was detected by enhanced computed tomography (CT). We resected the tumor under general anesthesia. An immunohistochemical examination revealed numerous IgG4-positive plasma cells around the temporal arteries. The serum concentrations of IgG4 at 20 days after surgery was 105 mg/dℓ ; this decreased to 92.8mg/dℓ at 60 days after surgery. There were no complications and the post-operative result was acceptable.

We report a case of palatal intraosseous hemangioma. A 55-year-old man complained of right nasal congestion. Computed tomography (CT) showed a mass with calcification from the palate bone to the rear end of the right nasal septum. Endoscopic sinus surgery was performed. A postoperative pathological study revealed the mass to be an intraosseous cavernous hemangioma. Intraosseous hemangiomas are usually seen in the calvariae and vertebrae. In the nasal cavity, such a lesion is rare. CT is useful for making an accurate preoperative diagnosis and it also shows characteristic findings.

Total laryngectomy is a common procedure of choice for advanced laryngeal cancer. Pharyngocutaneous fistula is a troublesome complication in the postoperative period after total laryngectomy, with the incidence rate being higher in cases with a poor general status and salvage surgery after chemoradiotherapy. We herein report a case of total laryngectomy using a submental island flap in a 62-year-old male with laryngeal carcinosarcoma and a poor general condition. The tumor invaded the tongue base, thus, the postoperative defect of the pharynx was expected to be large. Total laryngectomy was performed using the submental island flap to close the defect, and the post-operative course was satisfactory without the development of a pharyngocutaneous fistula. Reconstruction using a submental island flap after total laryngectomy may therefore be effective for preventing the onset of postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula.