Brainstem/cerebellar infarction is known to cause various cranial nerve symptoms that may require otorhinolaryngological evaluation. Acute-phase cerebellar infarction is evaluated by MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (MRI-DWI). However, in the acute phase, MRI-DWI may show false-negative results, because of which patients are referred to the department of otolaryngology for further evaluation of the cranial nerve symptoms. We investigated 250 cases of brainstem/cerebellar infarction in 245 patients who were admitted to our hospital between 2010 and 2015. Of the 250 cases, eight cases were diagnosed at the department of otolaryngology after detailed evaluators for dizziness or dysphagia, and three of them were false negative on initial MRI-DWI. In total, we examined 16 cases detected as false negatives upon initial MRI-DWI. Of the 16 cases, 12 were brainstem infarctions, three were cerebellar infarctions, and one was infarction of the brainstem and cerebellum. All 16 cases were evaluated by initial MRI-DWI within 12 h of onset. Careful observation of the neurological findings and follow-up MRI-DWI are useful for the detailed evaluation of patients suspected to have a cerebellar infarction.

　The masticator space is located between the masseteric fascia and the pterygoid muscle fascia.
　Here we report two cases of masticator space abscesses spreading from infections of mandibular teeth.
　Case 1 is an 85-year-old lady who were referred to Yokohama City University Hospital with a left-cheek swelling and trismus. An enhanced CT scan revealed an abscess extending from the left infratemporal fossa to the temporal fossa. A purulent discharge was observed from her left lower gingiva. We performed surgical drainage under general anesthesia. After infection control, the affected teeth were extracted.
　Case 2 is an 82-year-old lady who was administered oral bisphosphonate for osteoporosis. She presented to another hospital with fever, trismus and swelling anterior to the right ear after right lower tooth extraction. Because MRI revealed persistent osteomyelitis of her mandible even after antibiotic treatment, she was referred to us. Enhanced CT showed an abscess in the right infratemporal fossa. After surgical drainage similar to Case 1, antibiotics were administered for approximately 4 months to control the osteomyelitis.　
　It is important to recognize that infections of the mandibular teeth can cause an abscess in the masticator space through the pterygomandibular and infratemporal spaces.

　An S-shaped incision is most frequently used for surgeries on benign parotid gland tumors. Surgical procedures using a retroauricular hairline incision (RAHI) for parotid gland tumors was first reported in 2009, but no such case has been reported from Japan. Because RAHI leaves no trace of visible scarring in the face and neck, it is more favorable in terms of cosmetics than an S-shaped incision. We operated on 25 cases of benign parotid gland tumors using RAHI between February 2012 and June 2014. In this report, we give a detailed description of the RAHI procedure, and quantify and compare operative time, bleeding, and complication rate between RAHI procedure and conventional methods.
　The mean operative time was 150.2 min. Permanent facial paralysis was observed any RAHI case. However, transient facial paralysis was seen in 20.0% RAHI cases, and this value is similar to data reported previously. Because RAHI does not require a preauricular skin incision, unlike S-shaped and facelift incisions, it is difficult to gain an anterosuperior view of the parotid gland. In other words, tumors in the lower pole of the superficial lobe of the parotid gland are the best indication for RAHI.
　RAHI is a useful approach when performed by surgeons with sufficient experience with standard methods and when surgical indications are accurately determined.

　In the treatment of adult patients with acute otitis media (AOM), it has been assumed that >65 years of age or living with children attending a day nursery, are background factors for infection with drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (DRSP). However, few reports have discussed the relationship between these background factors and adult patients with AOM. In this study, I reviewed 209 cases of adult patients with AOM in whom S. pneumoniae was detected via myringotomies performed between 1995 and 2015. I retrospectively analyzed the relationship between drug resistance and drug-resistant S. pneumoniae detection frequency on the basis of patient age range, whether patients had been coresiding with children who were attending a day nursery, and, if they were, the age composition of those patients. An extremely high percentage of these cases included patients between 30 and 39 years of age, among whom the number of patients who had been coresiding with children who attended group daycare was significantly higher than the number among those not in that age group. The patients who had coresided with children attending group daycare had significantly higher DRSP detection rates and significantly worse drug resistance than the patients who had not-coresided with children attending group daycare. Furthermore, among the patients who had coresided with children who attending group daycare, those with children <2 years of age had significantly higher DRSP detection rates and significantly worse drug resistance than the patients with children >2 years of age. No significant differences in drug resistance and DRSP detection rates were detected between patients <65 years of age and those >65 years of age. Therefore, we think that during examinations of adult patients with AOM, physicians should always confirm whether the patient is coresiding with children who attend group daycare and, if they are, determin the ages of those children.