Objective: To determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and overall accuracy of FNAB in detecting parotid malignancies in our institution. Methods: Design:           Retrospective Chart Review Setting:           Tertiary Government Hospital Participants: Postoperative records of seventy six (76) patients with tumors of the parotid gland preoperatively diagnosed by FNAB. Results: The sensitivity of FNAB was 46%. The specificity and positive predictive value were both 100% and negative predictive value was 90%. Overall accuracy in diagnosing malignant parotid tumor was 91%. Conclusion: FNAB in this institution is a poor predictor of malignancy, having a sensitivity rate of only 46%. While this may serve as a basis for not recommending pre-operative FNAB for patients with parotid tumors in the interim, other factors should also be considered, including concerns with the actual performance and interpretion of FNAB in our institution. Keywords: Parotid neoplasm, Cancer of the parotid, fine needle aspiration biopsy, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the prevalence of eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic nasal polyps in Filipino patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. Methods: Design: Retrospective Chart Review Setting: Tertiary Government Training Hospital Participants: A consecutive sample of adult patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis at the Rizal Medical Center from 2015-2019.   Results: Out of 66 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery during the study period, 36 (54.55%) had an eosinophilic endotype while 30 (45.45%) had a non-eosinophilic endotype. Conclusion: he slight predominance of eosinophilic nasal polyps found in our sample may suggest a contrasting trend compared to our Asian neighbors, who have a predominantly non[1]eosinophilic endotype – Indonesia (90.47%), Thailand (81.9%), South Korea (66.7%) and China (53.6%). However, this predominance is still lower than the 78-88% eosinophilia reported among Caucasians. Larger series may confirm these preliminary findings

Objectives: 1] To describe a case of an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma presenting as a radiolucent mandibular mass in a 3-year-old child. 2] To review existing literature on the clinical picture and pathophysiology of intraosseous rhabdomyosarcoma. 3] To identify learning points in the diagnosis of intraosseous rhabdomyosarcoma.   Design: Case report.   Setting: A tertiary referral hospital.   Patients: One (1)   Results: A case of a 3-year-old child with a radiolucent mandibular mass is described. The final histopathologic report turned out to be embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Intraosseous rhabdomyosarcomas are rare occurrences (3.5% in one review), and clinically present in younger age groups, with a non-tender, enlarging, firm-hard mass over a specific area. A review of the available literature on intraosseous rhabdomyosarcomas, and its proposed pathogenesis, is presented.   Conclusion: A case of a radiolucent mandibular mass in a 3-year-old child is presented. Intraosseous rhabdomyosarcomas of the mandible are rare occurrences that pose challenges to the otorhinolaryngologist. Taken separately, the presentation, patient characteristics, clinical course, ancillary laboratories and imaging modalities may lead even the most astute otorhinolaryngologist astray. The whole clinical picture should be taken together so that the correct diagnosis will not be missed despite the rare presentation.   Keywords: embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, intraosseous rhabdomyosarcoma, mandibular mass        

Background:  The Philippine National Ear Institute (PNEI) was created to promote health of hearing and balance among Filipinos.  Over the years it,  has provided audiologic services to thousands of patients annually and has published relevant hearing and balance research. Objective:  To describe the patients served by the PNEI in terms of age, region of origin, occupation, pretest diagnosis, and audiologic results. Methods:  Study Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: National tertiary care center Population: All records of patients referred for audiologic testing at PNEI in 2006 were reviewed and encoded into analyzable format. Results: A total of 1,756 patients had audiologic records for review. Median age was 32.5 years, with the age distribution presented according to sex, type of tests done including common reasons for referral, and median threshold levels by frequency. Coverage was national in scope, with most patients coming from the National Capital Region and from Regions III and IVa. Occupation was indicated in 37.8% of the working age group, most of whom were unemployed. The most common pretest diagnosis was chronic otitis media (26.6%), followed by hearing loss of unknown etiology (13.0%) and tinnitus (9.3%). Severity of hearing impairment based on pure tone audiometry was variable, and was presented according to common diagnoses. About 39% of hearing impairment cases were sensorineural, 36% conductive and 25% due to mixed defect. Bilateral Type A ears were found in 45.4% of patients by tympanometry, while 29.3% were bilateral Type B. For otoacoustic emissions, 69.0% were labeled as “refer” in at least one ear. Conclusion:  The PNEI is a major national referral center for audiology that holds much promise in developing programs for national surveillance of the hearing status of different sectors in Philippine society.   Keywords: Philippine National Ear Institute, Philippines, patient profile, audiology, audiometry, tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions, chronic otitis media