A 4-year-old boy presented with a painless swelling over the right pinna of 4 months' duration. Histopathologic examination of the excised mass revealed features of pilomatricoma-a rare, benign skin neoplasm arising from hair follicle matrix cells. The unusual location of the lesion over the pinna, despite its frequent occurrence in the head and neck, prompted this article. We discuss the etiology, clinical presentation, and management of pilomatricoma of the auricular region

Background:Children with adenoid hypertrophy have been shown to harbor pathogenic bacteria in the nasopharynx despite antibiotics. Removal of the adenoid is associated with a reduction in the bacterial count.Aims:The study was done to determine the bacteriology of the adenoid tissue in chronic adenotonsillitis and adenoid hypertrophy, and determine the antibiotic sensitivity of potential pathogens.Materials and Methods:This is a descriptive study conducted on 100 patients aged between three and twelve years who underwent adenotonsillectomy/adenoidectomy. After adenoidectomy, the specimen along with the swab taken from the surface of the adenoid was sent for microbiological examination. After 48 and 96 hours, the microbial growth was identified and the antibiotic-sensitivity pattern of the isolate was studied.Results:Aerobic organisms grew in 93% of the specimens and anaerobic organisms in 68%, whereas 7% had no growth. The surface was predominated by commensals and the pathogens were mainly found in the core. The predominant pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Enterococcus species. The organisms were resistant to penicillin but showed sensitivity to co-amoxiclav and ciprofloxacin. Co-amoxiclav and ciprofloxacin should be considered as the first line of medical treatment for adenotonsillar diseases.Conclusions:Infection is the main cause of adenoid hypertrophy. Amoxicillin with potassium clavulanate and ciprofloxacin should be considered as the drugs of choice for all adenotonsillar diseases. Early and prompt treatment of adenoid hypertrophy with appropriate antibiotics will avoid unnecessary exposure to repeated antimicrobial therapy, thereby maintaining the beneficial effects of the normal adenoid flora.

Rhinosporidiosis is primarily an infection of the nose. Though occasional involvement of other areas in the human body has been reported, it rarely presents as a disseminated disease. We describe two cases of recurrent nasopharyngeal rhinosporidiosis, one of them with cutaneous and pulmonary involvement. The clinical manifestations and the management of both the cases are discussed.

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We report a case of recurrent Pindborg tumor (calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor) of the maxilla. The patient was a 34-year-old woman who had been previously diagnosed with Pindborg tumor and treated with curettage. She was subsequently referred to us for evaluation of nasal obstruction. Examination revealed the presence of a mass lesion in the right nasal cavity and right maxilla, which was identified as a recurrence of her earlier Pindborg tumor. The patient was treated with maxillectomy with orbital preservation. Pindborg tumor is a rare odontogenic tumor; when it does occur, it is more often seen in the mandible than in the maxilla. While this tumor is often treated with curettage alone, the aggressive nature of the recurrence in our patient necessitated radical surgery. We report this case to highlight the need to be suitably aggressive in treating these types of tumors in order to avoid recurrence.