Stankiewicz, J. A. The endoscopic approach to the sphenoid sinus. Laryngoscope, 99:218-22, 1989.

The objective is to assess the role of socioeconomic factors and health-seeking behavior in treatment delay in oral and oropharyngeal cancer in our population. This article adapts-design: prospective study and setting: tertiary care centre. We studied 153 patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who were managed in the department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery between January 2006 and December 2007. There were 127 male patients (83%) and 26 females (17%) with ages ranging from 22 years to 70 years. Fifty-nine patients (39%) presented to us with early stage disease (i.e. stage I and II), whereas, 94 patients (61%) presented with late stage disease (i.e. stage III and IV). Of the 59 patients presenting with early stage disease, 20 were illiterate and 39 literate with 28 patients (47%) belonging to low socio-economic status and 32 patients (54%) having an access to primary health centre (PHC). Of the 94 patients presenting with late stage disease, 53 were illiterate and 41 literate with 58 patients (62%) belonging to low socio-economic status and 38 patients (40%) having an access to primary health centre. Literacy, socio-economic status, access to primary health centre and health-seeking behavior of our population has a significant association with the stage of presentation of patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer.

Parotid gland tuberculosis is rare and may present in different clinical forms. We present three cases of tuberculosis of the parotid gland that presented to us with different clinico-pathological appearances. The cases were diagnosed on the basis of histopathological evaluation and fine needle aspiration cytology. All the patients responded to four-drug antitubercular chemotherapy.

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Background and Aims: Chest trauma is a major public health problem in India, but only few studies have been conducted to analyze its magnitude and management. The present study was carried out to determine the epidemiological profile of chest trauma cases and to analyze the management strategies with an aim to identify the scope of improvement in our setup. Materials and Methods: It is a retrospective study of cases admitted with chest trauma, to a tertiary care hospital. Records of the patients admitted to the hospital with chest trauma over a period of one year were analyzed for the patients' demographic profile; mechanism, nature and severity of injuries; associated injuries; management and outcome of cases. Results: Out of a total of 105 patients, most were males, belonged to age group of 21-40 years and suffered blunt trauma. Motor vehicle accident was the commonest mechanism of injury. The interval from injury to admission ranged from one hour, to more than 24 hours. Eight patients were admitted to the ICU, out of which 5 required ventilatory support. The most frequently used analgesics in the wards were non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Ninety one patients improved, while seven patients died in the hospital. Conclusions: Chest trauma due to blunt injury is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in young males. Despite limitations of resources and manpower, attempts are being made to manage patients successfully. However, creation of dedicated trauma teams with well-designed management protocols in hospitals can further improve the outcome.