There is no definite treatment strategy for mastoiditis. In recent years, cases of acute mastoiditis have decreased, but we report 3 children in whom we performed surgery for mastoiditis via a postauricular incision at our hospital. All the three showed a good clinical course and good postoperative mastoid aeration.

　Although mastoiditis with bone destruction is, in general, considered as the indication for mastoidectomy, we consider that it is necessary to perform antrotomy not only in cases with bone destruction, but also in cases with abscesses resistant to antibiotic therapy or otic complications such as facial nerve palsy, because even in the absence of bone destruction, neuropathy and intracranial complications can occur in cases that are resistant to conservative treatment. We believe that there is no need to hesitate to perform antrotomy in cases where it is judged to be necessary, since the aeration of the mastoid after surgery was good in all cases.

　We describe the case of a 66-year-old male with sclerotic fibroma within the middle scalene muscle in the right supraclavicular fossa. The patient presented with a 3-year history of a lump in his right supraclavicular fossa and immobility of his right shoulder. A plain chest X-ray and cervical CT showed a round mass with calcification in the right supraclavicular fossa. The operative findings revealed a white mass wrapped by a rather thick capsule, infiltrating the muscle fibers of the middle scalene muscle. The removed tumor specimen was oval in shape and measured 70×50×30 mm in size. On histopathological examination, the inside of the mass was filled with degenerated thick collagenous material. There was no obvious regularity in the array of collagenous fibers and the fibers showed extreme twirling. Most of the tumor was composed of calcification or hyalinization, rather than cells. Based on these findings, the mass was diagnosed eventually as a sclerotic fibroma.

　A sclerotic fibroma is considered as a benign tumor under the category of fibromas. However, we could find no reports in Japan of this tumor in the head and neck region.

　We encountered a case of recurrent and longstanding oropharyngeal ulcers which was refractory to oral corticosteroid therapy that responded well to colchicine. Herein, we report on the possible underlying mechanism, with some consideration of the literature. A 47-year-old man was admitted to our department a 1-month history of sore throat, and was diagnosed as having refractory oropharyngeal ulcers, as he had failed to respond to oral corticosteroid therapy. Treatment with oral colchicine, which has been reported in published literature as being potentially effective, was associated with symptomatic improvement. Subsequent recurrence of the symptoms was also relieved by the same treatment, and we concluded that colchicine treatment was successful in this case. Although colchicine is a therapeutic agent for gout, it has been reported to be potentially effective for refractory oropharyngeal ulcers, possibly through controlling the functions of neutrophils. The drug has also been established as a promising treatment for Behcet's disease, and in cases of refractory oropharyngeal ulcers that prove responsive to colchicine, it is necessary to take into consideration the possibility that the symptoms of Behcet's disease will follow after a while.